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Department of
SOCIAL SERVICES

Community Care Licensing


COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION REPORT

Facility Number: 045920288
Report Date: 08/25/2026
Date Signed: 08/25/2026 09:16:17 AM

Substantiated


STATE OF CALIFORNIA - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY

COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION REPORT		CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
COMMUNITY CARE LICENSING DIVISION
SACRAMENTO NORTH ASC, 9835 GOETHE ROAD, SUITE 100
SACRAMENTO, CA 95827
This is an official report of an unannounced visit/investigation of a complaint received in our office on
02/04/2026 and conducted by Evaluator Rebecca Knight
COMPLAINT CONTROL NUMBER: 59-AS-20260204095910
FACILITY NAME:MARBELLA CHICOFACILITY NUMBER:
045920288
ADMINISTRATOR:SCOTT BLOWFACILITY TYPE:
740
ADDRESS:1351 EAST LASSEN AVENUETELEPHONE:
(530) 899-0814
CITY:CHICOSTATE: CAZIP CODE:
95973
CAPACITY:79CENSUS: 67DATE:
08/25/2026
UNANNOUNCEDTIME BEGAN:
09:00 AM
MET WITH:Scott Blow - Executive DirectorTIME COMPLETED:
09:30 AM
ALLEGATION(S):
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Staff are locking residents in the facility - SUBSTANTIATED
INVESTIGATION FINDINGS:
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08/25/2026 09:00 AM Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Rebecca Knight, made an unannounced visit to the facility and met with Executive Director (ED) Scott Blow. The purpose of this visit was to deliver the results of a complaint investigation.

During the course of the investigation LPA conducted interviews, toured the facility and reviewed documents to include current fire clearance, memory care resident roster, memory care resident Power of Attorney (POA) information, written and signed statement of understanding/consent that the facility has locked exterior doors or perimeter fence gates for all residents who live in the memory care unit.
Continued on LIC9099-C
Substantiated
Estimated Days of Completion:
SUPERVISORS NAME: Lauren Crocker
LICENSING EVALUATOR NAME: Rebecca Knight
LICENSING EVALUATOR SIGNATURE:

DATE: 08/25/2026
I acknowledge receipt of this form and understand my licensing appeal rights as explained and received.
FACILITY REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE:

DATE: 08/25/2026
This report must be available at Child Care and Group Home facilities for public review for 3 years.
LIC9099 (FAS) - (06/04)
Page: 1 of 4
Control Number 59-AS-20260204095910
STATE OF CALIFORNIA - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY

COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION REPORT (Cont)		CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
COMMUNITY CARE LICENSING DIVISION
SACRAMENTO NORTH ASC, 9835 GOETHE ROAD, SUITE 100
SACRAMENTO, CA 95827
FACILITY NAME: MARBELLA CHICO
FACILITY NUMBER: 045920288
VISIT DATE: 08/25/2026
NARRATIVE
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Staff are locking residents in the facility - SUBSTANTIATED

It was reported that the facility is violating residents’ personal rights by locking them inside the Memory Care (MC) unit. It was further reported that some residents in the MC unit lack the capacity to consent to a locked-door placement and do not have a court-appointed conservator with legal authority to authorize such placement.

On 02/10/2026, LPA inspected the garden gate located in the facility’s MC unit. LPA observed that the exterior side of the MC garden gate was equipped with a keypad to open the gate; however, the interior side of the gate did not have a keypad or any other mechanism that would allow the gate to be opened from inside the MC unit. At the time of the inspection, the gate could be opened from the exterior using the keypad, but no corresponding mechanism was available on the interior side.

On 02/10/2026, LPA interviewed the Executive Director (ED), who stated that the Memory Care (MC) garden gate was secured by an electromagnetic lock that would disengage when the fire alarm system was activated, causing the gate to open automatically. The ED further stated that the gate could not be opened from the inside and that the facility was working with a locksmith to install a keypad on the interior side of the gate. The ED also stated that all residents had signed documentation on file regarding the secured community.

On a subsequent visit conducted on 08/18/2026, LPA observed that a keypad had been installed on the interior side of the garden gate, allowing staff to open the gate from inside the garden. During the visit, LPA observed six interior doors and one garden gate within the MC unit. All six interior doors and the garden gate could be opened from both the interior and exterior sides using a keypad. LPA further observed that the Memory Care unit did not have any delayed-egress doors.

Continued on LIC9099C

SUPERVISORS NAME: Lauren Crocker
LICENSING EVALUATOR NAME: Rebecca Knight
LICENSING EVALUATOR SIGNATURE:

DATE: 08/25/2026
I acknowledge receipt of this form and understand my licensing appeal rights as explained and received.
FACILITY REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE:

DATE: 08/25/2026
LIC9099 (FAS) - (06/04)
Page: 2 of 4
Control Number 59-AS-20260204095910
STATE OF CALIFORNIA - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY

COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION REPORT (Cont)		CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
COMMUNITY CARE LICENSING DIVISION
SACRAMENTO NORTH ASC, 9835 GOETHE ROAD, SUITE 100
SACRAMENTO, CA 95827
FACILITY NAME: MARBELLA CHICO
FACILITY NUMBER: 045920288
VISIT DATE: 08/25/2026
NARRATIVE
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On 02/10/2026 LPA’s review of the facility’s documentation revealed that the Memory Care (MC) unit had eighteen (18) residents on the day of the visit. LPA reviewed the facility’s “Addendum to Residence and Care Agreement Consent for Secured Community” forms and found that sixteen (16) forms were signed by the residents’ Power of Attorney (POA). One (1) form was signed by an individual who was not identified in the resident’s records as the resident’s POA, and one (1) form was signed by the resident.

When the complaint was opened on 02/06/2026, the facility had a locked exterior gate without an interior keypad that would allow staff to manually open the gate. The facility subsequently obtained updated fire clearance on 03/06/2026, which specifically included: “Clearance granted for new exterior gate keypad.”

The current fire clearance approves only one (1) of the six (6) locked gates/doors in the MC unit. The facility must obtain updated fire clearance approving all six (6) locked gates/doors.

Based on interviews and evidence obtained during the investigation, the preponderance of evidence standard has been met, therefore, the above allegation is found to be SUBSTANTIATED. California Code of Regulations, (Title 22), is being cited on the attached LIC9099D. Appeal rights were provided. Exit interview was conducted and the report was provided to ED Scott Blow.

SUPERVISORS NAME: Lauren Crocker
LICENSING EVALUATOR NAME: Rebecca Knight
LICENSING EVALUATOR SIGNATURE:

DATE: 08/25/2026
I acknowledge receipt of this form and understand my licensing appeal rights as explained and received.
FACILITY REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE:

DATE: 08/25/2026
LIC9099 (FAS) - (06/04)
Page: 3 of 4
Control Number 59-AS-20260204095910
STATE OF CALIFORNIA - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY

COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION REPORT (Cont)		CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
COMMUNITY CARE LICENSING DIVISION
SACRAMENTO NORTH ASC, 9835 GOETHE ROAD, SUITE 100
SACRAMENTO, CA 95827

FACILITY NAME: MARBELLA CHICO
FACILITY NUMBER: 045920288
DEFICIENCY INFORMATION FOR THIS PAGE:
VISIT DATE: 08/25/2026
Deficiency Type
POC Due Date /
Section Number
DEFICIENCIES
PLAN OF CORRECTIONS(POCs)
Type A
09/08/2026
Section Cited
CCR
87705(f)(2)
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87705(f)(2) Care of Persons with Dementia (f) Licensees that lock exterior doors or perimeter fence gates shall meet the following initial and continuing requirements: (2) The licensee shall ensure that the fire clearance includes approval of locked exterior doors or perimeter fence gates and that facility staff on all shifts have access to, and know how to use, equipment needed to unlock exterior doors or perimeter fence gates. This requirement was not met as evidenced by:
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Licensee agrees to obtain an updated fire clearance that includes approval for 6 of 6 locked exterior doors in the memory care unit.
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Based on interviews, observation and document review the facility failed to ensure that staff could open the memory care gate from the inside unless a fire alarm was engaged and the fire clearance on file did not include approval for locked exterior gate. In addition, the facility failed to ensure that the current fire clearance includes approval for 6 of 6 locked exterior doors in the memory care unit. This poses an immediate health and safety risk to residents in care.
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Licensee agrees to provide updated fire clearance to LPA as proof of correction.
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Failure to correct the cited deficiency(ies), on or before the Plan of Correction (POC) due date, may result in a civil penalty assessment.
SUPERVISOR'S NAME: Lauren Crocker
LICENSING EVALUATOR NAME: Rebecca Knight
LICENSING EVALUATOR SIGNATURE:

DATE: 08/25/2026
I acknowledge receipt of this form and understand my appeal rights as explained and received.
FACILITY REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE:

DATE: 08/25/2026
LIC9099 (FAS) - (06/04)
Page: 4 of 4