State health officials have slapped the owner of Hale Lehua Carehome in Honolulu with a formal Notice of Violation and Order, saying the facility allegedly fell short of Hawaiʻi’s adult residential care rules.
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Assurance said it issued a notice and finding of violation and order against licensee Romeo Valdez for violations of Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules chapter 11-100.1, according to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health.
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— Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (@HawaiiDOH) March 4, 2026
Inspectors Flagged Paperwork Problems
Hale Lehua is a state-licensed adult residential care home at 984 Ala Lehua Street in Honolulu. During an Oct. 18, 2024 annual survey, state inspection documents show the Office of Health Care Assurance cited administrative deficiencies, including a missing fingerprint background check for a substitute caregiver, as detailed in the Office of Health Care Assurance inspection report.
The licensing standards cited under HAR chapter 11-100.1 are further described in state facility datasets that outline adult residential care home definitions, according to state datasets describing ARCH definitions.
Part Of A Bigger Crackdown
The move fits into a years-long push by DOH to tighten oversight of care homes across the islands. Reporting by Civil Beat notes that the Office of Health Care Assurance has ramped up inspections and violation notices since 2018, even as investigators continue to track dozens of suspected unlicensed facilities statewide.
What Happens After A Violation Notice
Anyone hit with a Notice of Violation and Order typically gets a limited window to request a hearing and can face administrative fines or license actions if they do not comply. Past enforcement coverage shows the state gives notice recipients a finite period, commonly 20 days, to request a hearing before an order is locked in, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
How Families Can Check A Facility
Families and prospective residents can look up a facility’s license status and review inspection histories on the Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Assurance website, which posts inspection reports and lists of licensed adult residential care homes. The online records include licenses, statements of deficiencies and any corrective action plans on file.
