Putnam Center: Residents Left Without Water or Ice - WV
It was September 18, just after 12:30 in the afternoon. The man in room 150A had just eaten. No cup, no glass, nothing on his tray. Two staff members were at his door, telling him it was time for an appointment. The inspector turned to the facility van driver, identifiable by his name tag, and asked whether the resident was not allowed to have a drink.
He has one around here somewhere, the driver said.
He picked up a cup from the nightstand, set it on the over-the-bed table, and the staff wheeled the resident out. The driver confirmed the resident had eaten his entire noon meal without anything to drink. He agreed.
That same afternoon, the inspector walked the 100 hallway at Putnam Center and found empty or room-temperature water cups in rooms 148A, 150A, 155, 156A, 161, and 162. Six rooms. The finding was part of a complaint inspection completed September 23, 2025, covering a facility with 119 residents.
The woman in room 148A was holding a can of Ginger Ale when the inspector reached her. She asked the inspector for ice. She wanted to drink the soda but had nothing to pour it into.
The inspector asked her whether staff had passed fresh water or ice that morning.
No, she said. The cup showed up sometime while I was asleep last night and there has been no fresh water or ice since.
She shook the cup to demonstrate. It was empty.
Down the hall, the man in another room asked the inspector for ice water when the inspector looked at his cup and found it empty. He said staff did not bring fresh water very often. You just have to wait for lunch or dinner, he said.
The cups in rooms 155 and 156A held either nothing or a small amount of water. The residents there described what was left as warm.
Nurse Aide No. 1 told the inspector that the standard practice was to pass ice and water every shift, with meals, and as needed. But she said she had not finished her morning run until 11:00 AM that day and had not had time to pass water since. She said she had a nourishment tray coming with the lunch trays and planned to pass drinks then.
The time was 12:38 PM. One hour and 38 minutes had passed since she finished her run.
The administrator and a second nurse aide confirmed at 12:38 PM that the residents needed fresh water and ice.
Federal inspectors cited Putnam Center for failing to offer sufficient fluid intake to maintain proper hydration and health. The deficiency was tagged at a level of minimal harm or potential for actual harm, and listed as a random opportunity for discovery, meaning inspectors were not specifically looking for hydration failures when they walked the hallway. They found them anyway because residents asked them directly, cup in hand, for something to drink.
The woman in 148A had been waiting since before she fell asleep the night before. By the time an outside inspector came through her door at midday, she was still waiting.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Putnam Center from 2025-09-23 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 27, 2026 · Our methodology
PUTNAM CENTER in HURRICANE, WV was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 23, 2025.
It was September 18, just after 12:30 in the afternoon.
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.