BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Former caregivers at a Bakersfield group home for adults with developmental disabilities are speaking out about conditions they say they witnessed inside the facility, and Kern Regional Center confirms it received a whistleblower complaint and is reviewing the concerns.
The home is operated by Sevita Health.
Hayley Holguin said she spent three years caring for residents at the home — a connection that became deeply personal.
"I was like their family. I'm all they've known. Sometimes their family doesn't visit, or they don't have any family, and we become their family."
Holguin said she helped care for 6 adults with developmental disabilities, often with just one other caregiver working alongside her. She said staff were also responsible for preparing meals, administering medications and meeting residents' other needs.
She said the staffing levels took a significant toll.
"It had a huge impact on us, an emotional, mental toll, having to take care of 6 individuals who have intellectual disabilities and special needs and having so many duties to do at once," Holguin said.
Holguin described a specific situation involving a resident with a history of choking and a diagnosis affecting his airways. She said she was told not to call 911 unless the resident turned purple or blue.
"Why would you say that to an employee, and then how would you feel if somebody told you that who was taking care of your loved one?" Holguin said.
She said she accompanied the resident to the hospital that night, where he was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. X-rays showed food was stuck in his airway. Holguin said she contacted the resident's physician directly to push for a change in his diet order.
Holguin said she reported her concerns to Kern Regional Center, the ombudsman, the California Department of Public Health and the Disability Justice Department.
Annette Boesen, who said she worked at the home for about a year, described similar staffing concerns.
"For the last two months, I was working crazy — nine days straight — because we did not have enough help. And that was from day one. We never had enough help from day one."
Boesen explained how the short staffing affected the care residents received and created conditions where medication errors were possible. She said staff had a one-hour window to administer medications, but were frequently not informed when new medications or treatments were added to a resident's regimen.
"Everything was rushed. Because we just didn't have time to do everything the way we were supposed to do it," Boesen said.
Boesen also described concerns about the same resident Holguin mentioned, saying staff repeatedly raised alarms about his choking risk but felt those concerns were not adequately addressed.
A third former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, provided 23ABC with a written account describing an ongoing employee shortage. That former worker said positions were often not filled after employees left, leaving remaining staff to take on additional shifts.
Holguin filed a whistleblower complaint with Kern Regional Center. In an Aug. 20 letter, KRC acknowledged receiving the complaint. The letter states the complaint raises allegations involving health, safety, staffing, resident care, incident reporting and retaliation, and that KRC will review the information and supporting documentation.
"I just want justice. I want my individuals to be safe. I want them to be — when they have things that happen to them — I want them to take it serious," Holguin said.
Sevita Health told 23ABC it cannot provide additional details out of respect for employee and resident privacy.
"The safety and well-being of the individuals we serve and the team members who provide their care is our priority. We have a formalized review process to investigate concerns or complaints when they are submitted," Melissa Patricio of Sevita Health said.
The former caregivers said they are speaking out because their concerns did not end when their employment did. 23ABC will continue to follow this story as the investigation proceeds.
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