Cassville Health Care: Mice Infest Resident Rooms - MO
Two certified nursing assistants working the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift said they witnessed one to two mice nightly since starting work in August 2025. The staff members found mouse droppings inside a resident's room and reported frequent sightings near other resident rooms on the facility's back hall.
When inspectors examined the activity area in November, they discovered approximately 20 mouse droppings along the front edge of a cabinet containing jigsaw puzzles for resident use. A drawer holding playing cards for residents also contained mouse droppings.
Multiple staff members across different shifts confirmed the widespread nature of the problem. One housekeeper documented seeing a mouse run across a hallway directly into a resident's room and recorded the sighting in what was supposed to be an exterminator's logbook. Another certified nursing assistant said mice appeared "on the back hall all the time" and that several residents had complained about seeing mice in their rooms.
The facility's pest control arrangement created a significant gap in coverage. Pest Control Service Technician L told inspectors he only provided rodent control measures for the building's exterior, not inside where residents lived. Despite monthly service visits, he remained unaware of any indoor rodent reports until the day of inspection.
Even more troubling, the technician said he was unaware of the facility's pest logbook that staff were supposed to use for documenting sightings. The Administrator confirmed the pest control company had never signed the logbook and appeared uncertain whether the contractor even reviewed it.
The breakdown in communication meant that while staff dutifully recorded mouse sightings in a blue binder kept behind the nurses' station, those reports never reached the person responsible for addressing them. A certified medication technician explained that staff "wrote pest issues in the binder and that was the end of their part."
One resident directly reported the problem to inspectors, saying he had seen mice "a few times in the last couple weeks" in his room. The resident believed facility management had put out traps but noted they didn't appear to be working.
The Administrator told inspectors he expected staff to notify him about pest concerns so he could mention problem areas to the pest control company. However, this communication system clearly failed, as the exterior-only pest service continued monthly visits without addressing the indoor infestation that staff witnessed nightly.
A housekeeper who switched from maintenance to housekeeping duties in early October said residents had reported seeing mice, though he personally hadn't observed any. The Activity Director reported seeing a mouse running down the hall the previous month but hadn't seen one recently.
The Director of Nursing said night shift staff had reported mouse droppings just one or two days before the inspection, prompting notification to the Administrator. However, this recent report came after months of nightly sightings documented by multiple staff members.
When the pest control technician completed his monthly exterior service on November 18, just one week before the inspection, he noted "heavier activity" at the outdoor rodent traps. This increased exterior activity suggested the indoor problem was likely worsening, yet no additional measures were taken inside the facility.
The contamination of activity supplies presented particular concerns for resident health and dignity. Residents regularly handled the jigsaw puzzles and playing cards that inspectors found contaminated with mouse droppings, potentially exposing them to disease-carrying waste during recreational activities meant to improve their quality of life.
Federal inspectors classified the violation as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm to residents. The inspection occurred following a complaint, suggesting someone outside the facility felt compelled to report the persistent rodent problem that internal systems had failed to address.
The pest control technician scheduled a return visit following the inspection, though it remained unclear whether this would expand beyond the exterior-only service that had proven inadequate for protecting residents from the mice that staff reported seeing every night in their living spaces.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Cassville Health Care Center from 2025-09-10 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 20, 2026 · Our methodology
CASSVILLE HEALTH CARE CENTER in CASSVILLE, MO was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 10, 2025.
Two certified nursing assistants working the 6 p.m.
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.