Florence of Seattle Arbor Heights

This was a routine fire safety inspection conducted by the Washington State Patrol Fire Protection Bureau with no new violations identified. The facility had successfully corrected all violations noted during previous inspections, demonstrating compliance with fire safety regulations. The facility maintains approved status and shows good operational practices by addressing prior issues before this inspection. No immediate safety concerns or corrective actions were required at the time of inspection.

The facility failed a second fire and life safety inspection, having not corrected multiple violations identified in a previous inspection two months earlier. This represents a serious systemic failure in addressing life-safety requirements, creating significant potential risk to all 12 residents. The facility's response was minimal, with the Administrator only stating they would ensure completion of required corrections without evidence of immediate action, investigation into why previous violations remained uncorrected, or implementation of accountability measures to prevent future non-compliance.

This inspection identified multiple fire safety code violations including improper fire drill documentation, electrical hazards (open junction boxes, daisy-chained power strips), and critically, missing maintenance records for life safety systems (fire sprinklers, fire alarms, fire doors, carbon monoxide detectors). While no immediate resident harm occurred, the pattern of non-compliance across fire protection systems and lack of required annual inspections creates elevated risk. The facility's response was inadequate, failing to provide mandatory documentation at inspection time, resulting in disapproval status with no evidence of proactive compliance efforts.

The facility failed to secure hazardous chemicals (hydrogen peroxide, nail polish remover, alcohol) in an unlocked cupboard accessible to 11 residents with dementia, creating poisoning risk. The administrator immediately acknowledged the violation should not have occurred and staff attempted to secure the area during inspection. A follow-up inspection on 08/16/2024 found all deficiencies corrected and the facility in full compliance with licensing requirements, demonstrating appropriate corrective action and sustained compliance.

The facility had multiple administrative compliance violations including expired staff credentials, incomplete background checks, missing TB screenings, insufficient dementia training, and a confidential resident list improperly displayed in a public binder. These violations represented systemic failures in personnel management rather than direct resident harm. The facility responded appropriately by acknowledging all deficiencies, submitting a plan of correction, and successfully completing all corrective actions by the May 2023 follow-up inspection, which found no remaining deficiencies.