Damaged plumbing, sewage backup and rat infestation drive closure of Santa Rosa senior care house

This team included staff from the county environmental health department, Santa Rosa Law Enforcement, the Santa Rosa Fire Department, and license officers from the State Department of Social Services, which oversees assisted living centers.

County and city officials interviewed workers from a plumbing company working on the construction site and workers at the facility. They were told that the site “has had no running water since May 28, 21 due to broken sewer pipes and sewage under the building,” said a letter from the district’s environmental health department to the property owners on June 15.

According to the document:

* Plumbers reported raw sewage, sewage smells and sewage flies under the front building area where the on-site workers lived.

* There was evidence of rats under the buildings and inside the HVAC system under the house.

* A portable shower trolley in the driveway was not accessible to residents with disabilities.

* All toilets in the facility had trash can liners in the toilet bowls with cat litter in the pocket for residents and staff as spare toilets.

* Running water was not available for the toilets, showers, laundry, and hand and kitchen sinks in the bathrooms.

* Rat feces and rat noises were observed along with trash and garbage in a shed where food was stored.

The conditions in the house so clearly violated health and safety standards that the authorities expelled all residents and employees of the property.

Jesse Oswald, Santa Rosa’s senior construction officer, said action was taken swiftly and priority was given as the case concerned a retirement home that often houses the most vulnerable residents.

Many of the residents at the facility on Burbank Avenue have cognitive problems such as dementia, Barnett Nelson said.

“The health and safety of our citizens is really our most important mission, and when we hear concerns about an immediate health and / or life safety issue, our goal is to act as quickly as possible,” said Oswald.

Health and Safety Violations at Redwood Senior Living.pdf

No notification for newcomers

Santa Rosa resident Margaret Buhn and her sister moved their father into the facility on June 1, four days after the water was turned off. She said they were never told there was a problem with the plumbing.

James Buhn, 87, a retired chemistry and physics teacher at Rancho Cotate High School, was previously at a local independent housing facility but needed more care because he showed signs of dementia, Margaret Buhn said.

Redwood Senior Living offered assisted living at a cheaper price of $ 4,500 per month compared to $ 6,000 per month elsewhere, she said.

Buhn said she and her sister had no idea there were problems at the facility until they were told on Jan.

“It’s overwhelming, you don’t think people would do that,” she said, referring to the use of cat litter in the facility. “Why weren’t we informed about the conditions in the facility, or at least that there was no running water?”

Barbato said the use of trash cans and cat litter has been recommended as a temporary solution by “multiple sources”, including a website showing how they can be used as part of a portable bathroom in an emergency. He said he did his best to let family members know that the water was turned off.

“Every resident, whether they exist or are considering the community, has been made aware of the situation,” Barbato said in an email.

James Buhn, along with several other residents of the facility, was taken to a local motel for a few days before being relocated to Arbol Residences, a senior citizens’ community in northeast Santa Rosa.

The experience apparently weighed heavily on her father, said Margaret Buhn.

He was hospitalized on Tuesday after passing out and dizzy. He was initially taken to the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where staff said he was dehydrated and had impaired liver function, she said.

“That means he hasn’t had enough to drink for a while, which is terrible,” said Buhn. He was later admitted to Petaluma Valley Hospital because there was no space in the memorial, she added.

In the Petaluma Valley, employees were able to rehydrate the former teacher and improve his kidney function. Buhn said her father “hadn’t had a bowel movement in over three weeks and that was fixed”.

She said he is expected to be released and transferred to a local rehabilitation facility on Friday afternoon.

Plagued by a pandemic

Redwood Senior Living is one of 163 nursing homes offering assisted living, food and care services in Sonoma County. These houses have a total of 3,969 beds.