LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Residents in an east Las Vegas elderly care facility have been evacuated after family members told Channel 13 they were without working air conditioning for at least 10 days.
We got involved after one of those family members reached out with concerns that their calls to get the cooling system fixed had gone unanswered.
And now, Channel 13 has learned the State is getting involved by opening an investigation into why the owner, Varsobia Home Care, allowed the problem to get so bad.
Residents — most of them in their 80s and 90s — live at the facility full-time and, according to family members, had been exposed to extreme heat for nearly two weeks.
"If this was just a house with average-aged people — healthy people — they can deal with that," a family member told Channel 13. "But people of this age and this kind of health, they can't take the heat like this."
Prior video Channel 13 received from inside the facility shows portable air conditioning units that provided little relief because, as one family member told us, they were venting hot air inside instead of outside.
Varsobia Home Care initially denied the cooling issues at the property when we reached them for comment on Tuesday, but later admitted the malfunction when speaking with concerned family members.
Our phone call led to a swift response around 10 p.m. Tuesday night, when ambulances arrived to transport residents to other nursing homes owned by the same company.
According to property records, there are four Varsobia Home Care Services across Clark County, including the one in east Las Vegas.
On Wednesday morning, Channel 13 was there when an inspector from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services — which we contacted to ask about the problem — arrived at the facility to begin an investigation.
The department confirmed all residents had been moved, and the facility is empty until the air conditioning can be fixed.
Varsobia Home Care issued a statement to Channel 13 which reads in part:
"In instances where temperatures rise beyond acceptable levels, we have emergency protocols in place. We take any reports regarding the conditions in our facility very seriously and are committed to addressing any issues promptly."
Although, family members told us they reported their concerns multiple times over the past two weeks.
Officials with the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services told us they've been checking the facility every month to make sure all regulations — including temperature control — are being followed. They also confirm repairs are moving forward.
If you believe a health care facility in the State of Nevada is breaking regulations or mistreating patients, you're asked to fill out a form on healthfacilitycomplaints.nv.gov.
The full statement from Varsobia Home Care Services can be read below:
"At Varsobia Home Care Services, the safety and well-being of our residents are our top priorities. We take any reports regarding the conditions in our facility very seriously and are committed to addressing any issues promptly.
In instances where temperatures rise beyond acceptable levels, we have emergency protocols in place, including providing portable cooling systems (which we pro actively did over the weekend) and relocating residents to safer areas within the facility as needed. While our team is diligently working on the AC, we moved all our residents to other homes."
Here is the full statement Channel 13 received from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services in response to our inquiry about the east Las Vegas facility:
"The [Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman] has authority to enter all licensed long-term care facilities to investigate and advocate for residents' well-being. The Ombudsman has been conducting monthly unannounced visits to this facility since it opened, ensuring that regulatory guidelines, including temperature control, are met, and care needs are being addressed.
During the last visit in August, no temperature-related concerns were identified. However, we are accepting this inquiry and will promptly investigate the current situation to address any safety concerns for the residents.
Residents and families are encouraged to reach out to the Ombudsman Program directly for assistance via our intake line at 1-888-282-1155 or by email at ltc.ombudsman@adsd.nv.gov.
The Ombudsman Program does not have the ability to perform welfare checks, as that falls under the jurisdiction of law enforcement. However, we work closely with law enforcement and other agencies if such referrals are necessary.
In addition to the LTCOP’s inquiry, [the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance] has opened a high-priority complaint regarding this facility. The agency will follow up to ensure regulatory compliance, including addressing any failure in maintaining safe living conditions for the residents.
If further records or complaints related to Varsobia Home Care become relevant during this investigation, they will be handled according to our reporting procedures.
We appreciate your dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable residents in our community."
