The dietary manager told inspectors she routinely propped the kitchen door open to take trash to an uncovered dumpster 25 feet away. During one observation, the door remained propped open with a plastic wet floor sign for at least 13 minutes while staff went back and forth. "They needed water and were going back and forth so she monitored the door to make sure nobody came in," the dietary manager explained at 2:49 p.m. as the door remained open.
Pest control records revealed the facility had documented mice throughout 2024. A Paffy's Pest Control inspection on April 22 found staff had reported seeing mice activity with droppings in the kitchen, though no rodents were found in traps that day.
The facility's own pest sighting log showed mice spotted on 35 separate dates between March 12, 2024, and October 30, 2024. Locations included the kitchen, resident rooms, and various areas throughout the building. No sightings were logged after October 30.
But staff weren't reporting everything they saw.
Licensed practical nurse LPN-C told inspectors she found a dead baby mouse in a resident's room two weeks earlier but "was busy and forgot to log it in the pest control book." Resident R16 confirmed the incident during a resident council meeting, saying the nurse had been doing morning medication rounds when she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, there is dead mouse on the floor."
The administrator claimed she wasn't aware of recent mouse sightings. When told about the dead mouse found by the nurse, she responded, "That's the first I'm hearing this."
Food storage violations compounded the pest problem. Inspectors found a 3.79-liter jug of molasses with sticky residue around the outside that staff "didn't wipe down." A 138-ounce jar of salsa had dried salsa on the exterior and an unsecured lid. Five 16-ounce bags of Tostitos tortilla chips sat open without proper wrapping.
Sugar and flour storage bins had product spilled on the lids. The underside of the coffee machine contained brown flaky material and unidentified white chunks that the dietary manager called "a build up from not being cleaned."
The problems extended beyond the kitchen. Inspectors observed crumbs on dining room tables and floors at 7:53 a.m., before breakfast service began. A housekeeping worker explained that tables were supposed to be wiped down by nursing assistants at night, but housekeeping staff left at 2:30 p.m. and didn't work evenings.
In one resident's room, staff removed a meal tray without wiping down the table, leaving a plastic lid with white cream substance on the floor along with the spilled cream.
Resident rooms presented additional risks. R31's room contained multiple candies, snacks, and a loaf of bread stored without covers on April 22. When inspectors returned the next day, the items remained uncovered. Across the hall, R27's room had extensive clutter on the floor and bed that could "potentially attract and conceal mice," inspectors noted.
The administrator acknowledged the clutter problem, saying staff regularly searched "through the mounds of clothing and items on the floor to ensure there were no mice."
Paffy's pest control technician explained that mice need food, warmth, and water within a 10-foot radius to thrive. Propping doors open was "the worse thing in the world," the technician said, adding that "kitchens loved to leave the doors open which invited critters."
The facility had reduced pest control visits from twice weekly to every other week in January because "there was no activity and no complaints from staff or residents," according to the administrator. She claimed mice only came out at night and that it was "a known fact that anywhere food was not stored properly would attract something."
Maintenance worker M-A said mice were "more prevalent in the fall and spring" and confirmed that doors "should not be propped open" and food should be stored "in containers." He noted that mice "didn't seem to want food and traveled through the registers."
The administrator blamed staffing shortages for some problems. The dumpster had remained uncovered since she arrived at the facility because "99% of their staff were short making it difficult to shut." She said the kitchen door should "always be shut" but acknowledged staff propped it open when the kitchen got hot.
Pest control records from January through April 2025 showed ongoing issues. Reports noted "minor activity was found in the kitchen" on February 7 and February 20. On March 6, kitchen staff reported seeing "a mouse run into a wall void." On April 3, staff saw "a mouse run under the steam table 2 days prior."
The facility's pest control policy required food to be stored "in securely covered containers" and mandated that staff "report all sightings of pest to the maintenance and or environmental services director for pest control intervention."
When inspectors completed their review on April 24, the director of nursing claimed the facility "had not had a mouse sighting in over 90 days or longer" despite the documented evidence of ongoing problems.
The administrator said the facility would purchase sealable containers for residents without family support to store food items, acknowledging that anyone entering rooms "could monitor this" to prevent attracting mice.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Highland Chateau Health and Rehabilitation Center from 2025-04-24 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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