The water crisis lasted anywhere from one week to a month, depending on which resident you asked. What everyone agreed on was simple: they couldn't bathe.
"The hot water was out for about 3 weeks to a month and she could not bathe or shower because it was too cold," one resident told inspectors during interviews conducted November 20. Another resident said the outage lasted "about 2-3 weeks." A third estimated "about a week, but it could have been longer."
The facility's registered nurse confirmed the scope of the problem during a telephone interview. She told inspectors the facility "was always losing hot water in the residential area, specifically showers." Residents "did not get showers or didn't take showers because the water was too cold," she said.
The complaints reached beyond the facility walls. Residents complained to both administration and the ombudsman about the cold water, according to the nurse.
The ombudsman confirmed those complaints during her own interview with inspectors. "The residents are not lying about the water temp," she said. One specific resident "did complain several times about the water amongst other things." Even after that resident transferred to another facility, "there were other residents that complained about the same issue starting on 2/15/25."
She had addressed the problem with the facility multiple times and was repeatedly told "that the problem was resolved with repairs."
The maintenance worker explained the mechanical failure behind the crisis. A circular pump in the boiler room failed on August 21 and had to be replaced the same day. The failure "created an issue with water temps in other areas of the facility."
He described how the system worked against itself: "The hot water in the kitchen causes the other areas of the facility to have a cold temperature, which may have included the resident shower areas."
The administrator blamed the timing on corporate transition. She said the facility "is going through a new organization and when she became aware of the water issue it was addressed immediately." The problem "began under the outgoing corporate ownership, not the current, which she represented."
Records show the facility purchased boiler parts and installation on August 14, a week before the maintenance worker said the pump actually failed on August 21.
The water crisis violated the facility's own written policies on resident rights. The facility's Resident Rights Policy, dated June 10, guarantees residents "the right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and support for daily living safely."
The facility's Safe and Homelike Environment policy, dated June 15, commits to creating "home like environment" and providing "housekeeping and maintenance services as necessary to maintain the sanitary, ordering the and comfortable environment." It specifically promises the facility "will maintain comfortable safe temperature levels."
Federal inspectors visited the facility November 21 following complaints. By then, residents confirmed the hot water had returned. "The water is getting hot now," two residents told inspectors.
But the damage to basic dignity had already been done. For weeks, elderly residents who depend on facility staff for daily care needs went without the ability to properly bathe themselves in warm water.
The registered nurse's description captured the human impact most directly: residents simply stopped showering rather than endure cold water. In a population already vulnerable to skin breakdown, infections, and other health complications, the loss of regular bathing created risks that extended far beyond discomfort.
The ombudsman's involvement underscored how seriously residents took the problem. Multiple residents filed complaints about something as basic as hot water for bathing. When one resident transferred to another facility, others continued complaining about the same unresolved issue.
The facility received a citation for failing to provide a safe environment, with inspectors finding the water temperature problems affected "some" residents and caused "minimal harm or potential for actual harm."
Three residents interviewed by inspectors went without adequate bathing facilities for weeks while a mechanical problem that required one day to fix stretched on for nearly a month.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Caraday of Houston from 2025-11-21 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.