The Puerto Rico Department of the Family relocated three older adults after intervening at a suspected clandestine long-term care home in Canóvanas. Personnel from the agency’s Carolina Licensing Office, the region that includes Canóvanas, went to the residence to investigate after receiving a referral about a possible clandestine home. The staff found two men and a woman receiving care at the suspected facility, all with various health conditions, and they were transported to a hospital in the area.
Our priority is to guarantee the safety, protection and well-being of older adults.
The Department said the seniors’ relatives would be contacted and the residents also relocated, and that Family Department personnel will remain at the home until the relocation is complete to guarantee their safety, protection and continuity of care. "Our priority is to guarantee the safety, protection and well-being of older adults. Since we received the referral, we activated our Licensing personnel to verify the conditions of the establishment and take the corresponding measures, according to the findings," the agency said in a written statement.
As part of its oversight efforts, the Department has recorded 58 facility closures in 2026: 14 of clandestine operations, 13 for institutional abuse situations, and 31 voluntary closures or for noncompliance with regulatory requirements.