Evergreen Crossing: Gnats in Kitchen, Food Near Residents - IN
That was not the first time inspectors had seen the insects that week. Three days earlier, on August 8, gnats were observed flying around the facility's medical records office while the Director of Nursing stood there. And at some point before that, inspectors documented gnats flying around the head of a resident identified as Resident JJ, who was sitting in a manual wheelchair outside her doorway in the Heritage hallway.
The facility had not been ignoring the problem entirely. Pest control records showed a contracted company had made three visits between July 3 and August 5, treating for gnats, ants, and spiders. Monthly spraying is what the facility's own pest control policy, dated September 2021, says should happen. But gnats were still circling a food prep station, a nursing administrator's office, and a resident's head when inspectors arrived.
The administrator, when interviewed at 9:57 a.m. on August 11, offered an explanation for why the infestation had been difficult to control: family members regularly bring food to residents, and residents are allowed to keep food in their rooms, with or without a refrigerator. That is a common and reasonable practice in long-term care. What the administrator acknowledged next was less reasonable.
The facility had not tried to do anything about how that food was being stored.
No plastic bags. No bowls with lids. No containers of any kind had been offered to residents or families as an intervention to reduce what was drawing the insects in. This was not a gap the administrator disputed. It was simply something the facility had not attempted.
The facility's own food storage policy, which the administrator provided later that afternoon, was undated. It stated that foods brought into the facility should be kept in closed containers with sealable lids, that staff should provide those containers if needed, that staff should date the containers, and that food should be discarded when it is no longer safe. Dry foods stored at a resident's bedside should be kept in amounts that maintain a safe environment.
None of that, by the administrator's own account, had been happening in practice.
The inspection was a complaint visit, tied to three separate intake complaints. Federal inspectors cited the facility under a tag covering the physical environment, with a harm level described as minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting some residents.
The gap between what a policy says and what a facility actually does is a routine feature of nursing home enforcement. Evergreen Crossing had a pest control policy requiring monthly professional treatment. It had a food storage policy requiring sealed containers and staff intervention. The pest control company had been out three times in five weeks. And gnats were still hovering over cut potatoes in the kitchen, still drifting through the medical records office, still circling a woman sitting in a wheelchair in the hallway.
Resident JJ was not described as harmed. The citation does not say whether anyone spoke with her about what inspectors observed near her head, or whether anyone moved her, or whether she was aware of it at all.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Evergreen Crossing and the Lofts from 2025-08-11 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: July 6, 2026 · Our methodology
EVERGREEN CROSSING AND THE LOFTS in INDIANAPOLIS, IN was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 11, 2025.
That was not the first time inspectors had seen the insects that week.
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.