Baltimore nursing home didn't report that its residents were stuck in extreme heat

From WBAL-TV in Baltimore:

BALTIMORE — Baltimore city and state officials are looking into a city nursing home that didn't report that it had been without air conditioning since July 4.

Meanwhile, a former resident said the home has a history of heating and cooling issues.

About 150 residents live at Ravenwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (pictured).

Resident Linda Whildin told 11 News on July 6 that it has been "so unbearably hot, I ran out of sweat."

State officials said July 7 that all of the residents are being moved to nearly a dozen other facilities with air conditioning until the problem is resolved.

Authorities determined the air-conditioner malfunction occurred Sunday and not Friday as residents claimed. Even so, residents said their complaints about the lack of air conditioning fell on deaf ears.

City and state health officials said they only became aware of the problem on Monday morning after a Ravenwood resident called 911 for help. Authorities said the temperature inside the building was 92 degrees.

"The responders and the nursing staff did everything they could. They checked on all the residents to make sure there were no other medical emergencies. They checked on the clients every 10 minutes to make sure everything was OK," said Baltimore City Emergency Management spokesman Scott Brillman.

Ravenwood is currently under investigation by the state Office of Health Care Quality to determine whether it followed proper procedure. Nursing home facilities are required to report malfunctions of that nature because the office could have brought in resources to cool the place down.

Many of the residents are vulnerable adults, some of whom are under 65 and need special medical attention. Community officials said some at the home are amputees, HIV patients and gunshot victims.

"People can die from this. It's good to protect yourself," said state Health Secretary John Colmers.

Former resident Chandra Jones lived at Ravenwood for two years and moved last month. She said air conditioning and heat malfunctions are an ongoing issue there.

"They would work backwards -- you know, wait to turn the air on in October. By that time, it started to get cold. The same thing in the winter time, when the boiler would break down -- we were up there freezing, too," Jones told 11 News.

But state health officials said Ravenwood is cooperating and has a clean record.

"We have no prior deficiencies -- none whatsoever," said Nancy Grimm, the director of the Office of Health Care Quality.

City medics said they went room to room checking on each resident. The city Emergency Operations Division said it got in touch with Ravenwood's corporate office in Louisiana, which arranged for portable air conditioners to be brought in and mechanics to repair the system.

"We obtained 12 portable air conditioners, two on each floor. We also looked for the most vulnerable patients in the facility and moved them to lower levels," Brillman said.

But the temporary air conditioners and fans that were put next to open windows weren't working well, which promoted the removal of the residents, state officials said.

"We are working to ensure the safety of our residents, which is our primary concern, and taking all steps necessary to expeditiously work to resolve this matter," said Ravenwood Chief Operating Officer Michael D. Smith in a statement released Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the nursing home industry said it's an enormous undertaking to find other facilities that are a good fit for the patient. State officials said it may take as many as 10 days before residents can move back to Ravenwood.

"The reason for that is that they need a permit in order to operate a crane to lift the heavy equipment required to install the new air conditioning unit. They have to ensure it's working appropriately and that it's safe for the residents to return," Grimm said.

Two state health officials said they will remain at the facility until the situation is resolved.