State officials cite group home in LV

A patient lying in his own feces. Cockroach infestation. No running water in a bathroom sink used by food handlers. Prescribed medicines not given to patients.

Those are just some of the reasons the state health department imposed sanctions on a group home in downtown Las Vegas that houses the elderly, disabled and mentally ill.

A state inspection report released this week regarding Best Care Facility 1 at 720 S. Ninth St. goes on for nearly 30 pages, listing violations that include garbage on the premises, fire and electrical hazards, and lack of training of caregivers.

"Unfortunately, we've had problems there before," said Ben Kieckhefer, a spokesman for the Nevada State Health Division. "This isn't new."

Similar problems at the facility were found in February 2007, May 2008 and February 2009, records show.

"We hope that they finally learn their lesson," Kieckhefer said, adding that inspectors will do another survey soon to see whether deficiencies have been corrected. "We don't want to shut it down. We need homes for people."

On the front door of the facility Thursday was a sign posted by the Health Department: "NOTICE OF BAN ON ADMISSIONS."

"That's our hammer to get them to clean things up," Kieckhefer said. "It takes away part of their revenue stream if they can't get any more patients."

A fine of $5,100 also was recently imposed on the facility. In 2009 the facility received a $600 fine.

Attempts to reach Joy Borbon, the listed administrator of the group home, were unsuccessful Thursday.

An elderly patient sitting outside the home Thursday said he knew the home was often dirty.

"I live here," he said. "We've got problems."

A woman inside the home who described herself as a caregiver also said the same.

"But that's not our fault. It's their fault," said Mary Lee Normand as she pointed to men watching TV. "We clean it up, and then they dirty it up."

She said incontinence is a problem. The stench of urine was present in a hallway near the washer and dryer, which inspectors said weren't working earlier this month.

On the wall was a sign saying it costs $940 per month to stay at Best Care Facility 1. Another sign told of how to deal with schizophrenia.

Normand said most of the patients receive Social Security disability patients for mental problems. She said there are now 14 patients.

"We have room for four more once we get this place cleaned up," she said.

She said Borbon has had repairers working quickly both to clean up the home and make sure that plumbing and electrical appliances are in working order. She also said garbage wouldn't be strewn about in the future.

"We decided to get bigger garbage cans," she said.

Even though the facility seemed generally clean Thursday, Normand said, she doesn't know how long it can stay that way.

"Those roaches are all over, and we only get sprayed once a month," she said.

As Normand described how difficult it is to keep things clean with mental patients, a female patient introduced herself.

"Hi," she told a visitor. "I've got a voodoo doll in my stomach. I'm serious."

Contact reporter Paul Harasim at pharasim@review
journal.com or 702-387-2908.