The following regulation provided by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is a look at what can happen if you do not take their rules and regulations seriously. While it may seem severe to lose your license to operate, you must remember the lives we are ensured to care for our vulnerable, and all precautions for whom is caring for them must be taken.
- 6817. Denial of License, Revocation of License, Denial of License Renewal, Operation without License, Penalty
- The department may deny an application for a license, or revoke a license in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act.
- Denial of an Initial License
- The department shall deny an initial license in the event that the initial licensing survey finds that the ARCP is noncompliant with any licensing laws or regulations that present a potential threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the residents.
- The department shall deny an initial license in the event that the initial licensing survey finds that the ARCP is noncompliant with any other required statutes, laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations that present a potential threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the residents.
- The department shall deny an initial license for any of the reasons stated in §6817.
D for which a license may be revoked or license renewal may be denied.
- Voluntary Non-Renewal of a License. If a provider fails to timely renew its license, the license expires on its face and is considered voluntarily non-renewed or voluntarily surrendered. There are no appeal rights for such surrender or non-renewal of the license, as this is a voluntary cessation of business.
- Revocation of License or Denial of License Renewal. An ARCP license may be revoked or may be denied renewal for any of the following reasons, including but not limited to:
- failure to be in substantial compliance with the ARCP licensing laws, rules, and regulations;
- failure to be in substantial compliance with other required statutes, laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations;
- failure to comply with the terms and provisions of a settlement agreement or education letter;
- failure to uphold resident rights whereby deficient practices may result in harm, injury, or death of a resident;
- failure to protect a resident from a harmful act of an employee or other resident including, but not limited to:
- abuse, neglect, exploitation, or extortion;
- any action posing a threat to a resident’s health and safety; c. coercion;
- threat or intimidation; or
- harassment; 6. failure to notify the proper authorities of all suspected cases of neglect, criminal activity, mental or physical abuse, or any combination thereof;
- knowingly making a false statement in any of the following areas, including but not limited to:
- application for initial renewal of license;
- data forms;
- clinical records, resident records, or provider records;
- matters under investigation by the department, Office of the Attorney General, or any law enforcement agency; or
- information submitted for reimbursement from any payment source;
- knowingly making a false statement or providing false, forged, or altered information or documentation to the department’s employees or to law enforcement agencies;
- the use of false, fraudulent, or misleading advertising;
- fraudulent operation of an ARCP by the owner, director, officer, member, manager, or other key personnel as defined by §6813; 11. an owner, officer, member, manager, director, or a person designated to manage or supervise resident care who has been convicted of, or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) to, or has pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony, or has been convicted of a felony, as documented by a certified copy of the record of the court:
- for purposes of this Paragraph, the conviction of a felony means a felony relating to the violence, abuse, or negligence of a person, or a felony relating to the misappropriation of property belonging to another person;
- failure to comply with all reporting requirements in a timely manner as required by the department;
- failure to allow or refuse to allow the department to conduct an investigation or surveyor to interview provider staff or residents;
- failure to allow or refuse to allow access to authorized departmental personnel to records; or
- bribery, harassment, or intimidation of any resident designed to cause that resident to use the services of any particular ARCP.
- In the event, an ARCP license is revoked or renewal is denied, any owner, officer, member, manager, or director of such ARCP is prohibited from owning, managing, directing, or operating another ARCP for a period of two years from the date of the final disposition of the revocation or denial action
- Operation Without License and Penalty
- An adult residential care provider shall not operate without a license issued by the department. Any such provider operating without a license shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than $100 for each day of operation without a license up to a maximum of $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than six months, or both. It shall be the responsibility of the department to inform the appropriate district attorney of the alleged violation to assure enforcement.
- If an adult residential care provider is operating without a license issued by the department, the department shall have the authority to issue an immediate cease and desist order to that provider. Any such provider receiving such a cease and desist order from the department shall immediately cease operations until such time as that provider is issued a license by the department.
- The department shall seek an injunction in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court against any provider who receives a cease and desist order from the department under Subsection B of this Section and who does not cease operations immediately. Any such provider against whom an injunction is granted shall be liable to the department for attorney fees, costs, and damages.