Lakehouse Healthcare: Food Safety & Infection Failures - MN
R9 had been moved out of her original room the previous week due to a bed bug infestation. On July 29, staff assisted her back to bed in the supposedly treated room and left. She soon noticed "blackish-brown bugs everywhere" on her bed, and when she touched them, "blood would go everywhere." The bugs kept climbing onto her body as she called for help, unable to get out of bed by herself.
When inspectors visited R9's room the next day, they found a live bed bug crawling across the bottom sheet. Red and rust-colored stains covered the bedding. The bed frame had a "black/red grime-looking substance" on it. Registered nurse K confirmed the crawling insect was a bed bug.
The facility's maintenance staff had attempted to treat the infestation using an electric heating device for three days, reaching 130 degrees. But maintenance staff A acknowledged he "had noticed a lot of stuff in R9's room and the room looked like it needed to be cleaned to make the bed bug treatment more effective." Multiple boxes overflowed with items, personal bags sat on the floor, and clothing spilled from dresser drawers.
Nobody had assessed whether bed bugs remained before moving R9 back to the room.
The bed bug crisis reflected broader infection control failures throughout Lakehouse Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center during federal inspectors' August visit. Staff routinely violated COVID protocols, served cold food that posed contamination risks, and maintained a laundry room where dust-caked fans blew directly onto clean linens.
R39 complained repeatedly that staff ignored his requests for milk with meals, serving him juice instead. When he voiced concerns about food quality, staff told him "You keep complaining and you'll be gone." His menu slip clearly marked milk as a preference with a star, but nursing assistant H served him cranberry juice instead, explaining "He doesn't like milk" without asking what he wanted.
The assistant poured milk for R39 but left it on the nurses' station ledge, stating "I skip it."
Food arrived dangerously cold throughout the facility. Scrambled eggs served to R158 registered 113 degrees Fahrenheit when they should reach at least 140 degrees. The dietary aide immediately recognized the temperature was "too low" and R158 confirmed the eggs were "too cold."
Meal delivery ran consistently late, sometimes 45 minutes behind schedule. The regional director of dietary services observed staff pulling meal trays from insulated carts and letting them sit on counters, getting colder. "The meal trays would at least be warmer when served directly from the meal cart and not allowed to be sitting on the counter getting cold," she noted.
A lunch tray temperature-checked by inspectors measured 124.2 degrees. The regional director stated "this is not where we need it to be" and refused to offer surveyors a test tray.
The facility changed food service companies on May 1, 2024, but problems persisted. Resident council minutes from February documented that "food is being brought to the floor in a timely manner however the aides on the floor aren't serving it right when it comes." A June action form noted "Residents expressed food isn't passed out right when the carts come up."
Infection control violations multiplied across units. Staff consistently failed to wear required personal protective equipment when caring for COVID-positive residents. R134 required gown, N95 mask, gloves and eye protection, but nursing assistant A entered wearing only eyeglasses instead of a face shield or goggles. "I was told it was ok to just wear my eyeglasses," he explained.
Licensed practical nurse A confirmed the facility allowed staff to use prescription glasses as eye protection for COVID patients, contradicting federal guidelines.
Staff delivered uncovered beverages and food throughout the building, violating basic food safety protocols. Nursing assistants wheeled carts with exposed orange juice, coffee, apple juice and hot chocolate down hallways to resident rooms. One aide acknowledged "it is not good to leave the drinks uncovered when delivering meal trays" but continued the practice.
The facility dietitian emphasized that "Liquids being delivered to resident rooms must always be covered. I would be concerned about contamination."
In the main laundry room, multiple wall-mounted fans and a large mobile air conditioner blew directly onto stacks of clean linens. The fan grates showed "significant, copious gray and black-colored dust build-up" that had accumulated for weeks. Laundry aide A verified maintenance was supposed to clean them but "it had been several weeks since they were last done."
The director of engineering confirmed the devices were cleaned only "upon request" rather than on a scheduled basis. No documentation existed showing routine cleaning of equipment that processed linens used throughout the 228-bed facility.
Enhanced barrier precautions for residents with urinary catheters were routinely ignored. R83 required gown and gloves for transfers, but nursing assistants N and O used only gloves while operating the mechanical lift. Both aides acknowledged the enhanced barrier precaution requirements but failed to follow them.
Uncovered bins of soiled linens and garbage sat in hallways across multiple floors. On the fifth floor, inspectors found two uncovered bins containing soiled incontinence briefs, personal clothing, and facility linens mixed together. Nursing assistant D acknowledged the bins "are supposed to be covered" for infection control but continued using them uncovered.
The facility struggled with basic immunization protocols. Two residents eligible for updated pneumococcal vaccines had never been offered the shots despite CDC recommendations. R158, a smoker with chronic lung disease, hadn't been approached about additional vaccinations since his admission months earlier. "They never talked to me about it," he said, adding he was "open to more information."
R17, with heart and respiratory failure, was eligible for newer pneumococcal vaccines but had never been offered them. "I would take it yesterday," she said when asked.
The assistant director of nursing acknowledged the previous infection preventionist had "abruptly resigned a few months prior" and admitted they were "unable to locate any documentation" showing the vaccines had been offered.
R9 remained displaced from her room as pest control experts recommended comprehensive treatment including sealed storage of personal items and inspection of adjacent rooms. The facility's protocol required deep cleaning and administrator approval before residents returned to treated rooms, but those steps had been skipped.
The pest control agent noted the importance of checking rooms that shared walls with the infested space, but maintenance staff A had only inspected a distant room "separated by a hallway, sitting area, and an elevator" from R9's original location.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Lakehouse Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center from 2024-08-01 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 21, 2026 · Our methodology
LAKEHOUSE HEALTHCARE & REHABILITATION CENTER in MINNEAPOLIS, MN was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 1, 2024.
R9 had been moved out of her original room the previous week due to a bed bug infestation.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.