State bans admissions to Home Sweet Home facility for elderly

By Marshall Allen

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 | 11:27 a.m.

State health officials temporarily banned admissions at a Las Vegas residential home for the elderly after a survey found numerous and widespread violations with supervision, medicine management, sanitation, physical hazards and criminal background checks.

Las Vegas Home Sweet Home was fined $4,800 for its inability to correct the violations, some of which were similar to problems cited during two other inspections in the past year.

Officials from Home Sweet Home could not be reached for comment. Las Vegas Home Sweet Home is licensed for 14 beds and located at 2615 Lindell Road in Las Vegas.

Inspectors from the Nevada State Health Division found 28 violations during their Jan. 27 survey. One resident had been out of his medication for a week, and had been admitted to the hospital complaining of chest pain, the report said. The inspectors determined the resident was in immediate jeopardy and the facility was able to obtain his medications that afternoon.

Another resident had missed seven doses of Alzheimer's medication and seven doses of insomnia medication in the previous week, as well as anxiety medications, the report said.

"The facility allowed (the resident's) medication to run out and failed to follow-up to ensure the medications were available for administration," the state report said.

After declaring the resident was in immediate jeopardy, the staff obtained the residents' drugs.

In addition, the person in charge of the kitchen wasn't food safety certified and didn't know how to store food in a safe and sanitary manner, the report said. Food debris was on kitchen counters.

The staff restroom toilet didn't flush and the food service was being operated without a permit, the report said.