Missouri Nursing Home Forced to Close - UPDATE
A Missouri nursing home may not be allowed to reopen if the Missouri Attorney General has anything to say about it.
The Missouri Attorney General's Office filed emergency requests on January 14, 2010 in St. Louis County Circuit Court requesting that Whispering Oaks nursing home remain closed and be fined up to $400 per day until the home comes into compliance with state drinking water laws. Additionally, the state health department had already been trying to close the facility after repeated problems with fire and safety violations, inadequate supervision, and improper handling of prescription drugs.
Naren Chaganti, the facility's owner, alleges that a company that operates a cell phone tower located on top of the facility's water tank dislodged the heat shield that kept the tank from freezing. The owner also said that he had removed space heaters from the facility's water pump room after a request to do so by the state health department. Twenty-nine of the facility's residents were transferred to Loving Care Home in St. Louis City, which is owned by Chaganti's brother, Surendra Chaganti.
Chaganti, who practices law in California, is unsure if he will reopen the facility.
