Local News in Brief : Laguna Niguel : State Seeks to Close Board and Care Home

Charging that elderly residents have received poor care, the state Department of Social Services served legal papers Wednesday seeking to close down a small Laguna Niguel board and care home.

John Grant, a Social Services licensing supervisor in Santa Ana, said a member of his staff hand-delivered a letter to Corazon Lancero, the owner of Casa Lancero in the 2300 block of Stillwater Lane, saying the state wants to take away her license to operate the home. The home is licensed to care for six people over the age of 60, state records show. It has a history of violations and has been on probation for the past year, Grant said.

Grant said state inspectors found the home in violation of probation because medications were not being stored in a safe place out of reach of residents.

Also, the facility often has a Spanish-speaking staff that cannot communicate with the residents, most of whom speak only English, according to licensing records.

“If the residents are in severe pain or are hungry, they are unable to communicate this need to the care provider,” Grant said. He also said the language problem could cause difficulties if paramedics or other emergency personnel have to be called to the home.

Grant said Lancero has 15 days to voluntarily close the home. She can ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge to fight the order, he said.