Eviction of Seniors to a COVID-19 Impacted Facility

This ongoing story of the patients of Sakura Gardens ICF, formerly Keiro, is looking bad, with a looming threat that residents will be transferred to the Kei-Ai nursing home facility, which has the highest COVID-19 death rate in California.

Ongoing information is published at the group fighting these transfers, Save Our Seniors.

For a comprehensive explanation of the situation, and the backstory of how this fits into Boyle Heights gentrification and the racist history of healthcare, listen to this show at Public Intellectuals.

Key points of action: support AB279, by writing to your Assembly member (and state Senator).

Call your CA State legislators to support AB279! Send thank you’s to Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi and Miguel Santiago. Find your reps here:

http://www.legislature.ca.gov/your_legislator.html

“Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license, inspect, and regulate intermediate care facilities (ICF) and skilled nursing facilities (SNF). Existing law generally requires an ICF or SNF to comply with certain procedures and disclosures when transferring ownership or management of the facility, as specified. Existing law imposes criminal penalties on a person who violates the requirements imposed on these facilities.

This bill would prohibit the owner of an ICF or SNF from ceasing to deliver or making significant changes to the nature of residential care services, or from transferring a resident to another facility, during any declared state of emergency relating to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), except if the owner files for bankruptcy. The bill would require, upon termination of the same type of state of emergency, the owner of an ICF or SNF to issue a 6-month advance notice of any proposed sale or termination of the licensed operation of the facility to each resident before the sale or termination goes into effect. The bill would also prohibit during the same type of state of emergency, any changes in all conditions for the sale of assets imposed by the Attorney General, except if the owner of an ICF or SNF files for bankruptcy. By expanding the requirements and prohibitions imposed on a licensee of ICF or SNF, the failure to comply with would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2026.”