MDH finds mold, leaky roof at Twin Cities nursing home, plans to shut it down – Bring Me The News

State health regulators will shut down a Minneapolis nursing home due to structural and health concerns, including mold in the ceiling, a leaky roof and carpeting that is held together by duct tape.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDG), in a rare move, took over control of Twin City Gardens in October of 2021 after uncovering financial concerns that could negatively impact residents' care. The plan at the time was for MDH to stabilize the Northeast Minneapolis nursing home's operations during this temporary period of receivership.

Read more [Oct. 25]:In rare move, MDH takes control of Minneapolis nursing home

But the situation was apparently more dire than first thought.

MDH Thursday announced it will close Twin City Gardens because of "significant structural deficiencies" at the facility.

With a leaking roof, mold and other extensive repairs needed to the building, the best and safest option at this point is to move residents to new homes, said MDH Health Regulation Division Director Martha Burton Santibez in the announcement.

The building needs a brand new roof, remediation work to address mold in the ceiling, and "extensive" carpet repair or replacement. (Duct tape is holding the carpet together in some places, MDH said.)

Under the law, the State of Minnesota isn't allowed to take on these capital projects that require major alterations to the nursing home's physical structure, according to the health department. So instead, the state will shutter the facility.

We try to avoid facility closure during receivership situations, but the condition of the building limited our options," Santibez said.

Twin City Gardens currently has 28 residents. They and their families were notified of the plan on Jan. 5, MDH said. The goal is to relocate every resident as soon as possible, ideally within 60 days, at which point the nursing home will close. However, the exact timeline could change depending on how long it takes to ensure residents are transferred somewhere that can meet their needs.

ProPublica's nursing home inspection database shows serious concerns at Twin City Gardens over the years. In the most recent review (May 26, 2021) Medicare inspectors noted "immediatejeopardy to resident health orsafety," saying the facility failed to address wounds. One resident developed an infection at the site of a recent surgical amputation, requiring immediate hospitalization and another procedure.

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MDH finds mold, leaky roof at Twin Cities nursing home, plans to shut it down - Bring Me The News