VISALIA, CA — The Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging (KTAAA) board voted unanimously Tuesday to file a formal complaint against state licensing authorities. The board alleges the state failed to properly monitor a Porterville care home where inspectors found residents living in unsanitary conditions.
During the session, board members addressed severe health and safety issues discovered at Autumn Oaks. County inspection reports revealed widespread infestations of cockroaches and bed bugs, a lack of hot water, and several food safety violations.
Board members argued that state licensing officials failed to step in, even though the state had received 53 complaints about the home over the last five years. The board will send its formal complaint to the Governor, the Attorney General, and state legislators.
Following the inspections, the home’s director gave up her license under pressure from county officials. Law enforcement agencies have since launched a criminal investigation into how the home was managed.
Meanwhile, staff from the County Health and Human Services Agency spent nearly a week moving residents out of the care home. They relocated 14 people to a different facility while others returned to their families. The local group Community Services Employment Training (CSET) supported the move by providing residents with three meals a day during the transition.
KTAAA members described the situation as a failure to protect vulnerable residents. The board is now calling for new laws to prevent facility owners from closing a home and reopening it under a different name to escape accountability.
