Resident appeals discharge from Highchase LLC over diabetes management and incontinence

A resident of Highchase LLC appealed a Sept. 29 notice of discharge at an administrative hearing on Oct. 16, 2025, after the facility said it could not meet her needs for diabetes management and bowel incontinence. Hearing Officer (Department of Public Health) reviewed written exhibits and heard testimony from the facility owner, staff, subcontracted community health workers and nurses before leaving the record open for more documentation.

The appeal concerns Doreen Stockweather, who was admitted to Highchase on Aug. 12, 2025, and was issued a notice of discharge that the facility says is based on repeated hospitalizations for very high blood sugar, ongoing fecal incontinence and gait problems. Huldent Vogel, owner of Highchase LLC, testified that staff had repeatedly found Stockweather with dangerously high glucose and that “her sugar level was in her 600 mark,” and that the facility’s staff were not trained to provide the level of monitoring the owner said Stockweather needs.

Why it matters: The hearing determines whether Highchase’s notice of discharge — and its placement decision for an older adult with chronic diabetes and incontinence — is appropriate under state discharge rules. The Department’s decision could affect Stockweather’s placement, the facility’s obligations for residents with complex care needs, and how similar residential care homes manage transfers to higher-level facilities.

Testimony and evidence

Vogel said Stockweather had been repeatedly admitted to hospital shortly…