Legacy on 10th Avenue: Urine Odor, Dirty Floors - KS
Walking the East and West Halls of Legacy on 10th Avenue on the morning of March 23, federal inspectors encountered a distinct urine odor running the length of both corridors. It wasn't contained to resident rooms. By the time they reached the foyer entry into the dining room, the smell was there too.
The source wasn't hard to identify. Urinals sat on bedside tables and on the floors next to beds throughout the halls. Several of them had no lids.
The facility serves 54 residents. Inspectors reviewed 14 of them as part of this complaint inspection.
The dining room floor was sticky and dirty, with multiple dried spills visible across the surface. In a laundry service room positioned in the hall next to the kitchen foyer entry, laundry was stacked up and four large grey tubs of unwashed laundry sat waiting.
When inspectors spoke with Licensed Nurse G on March 31, more than a week after the initial walk-through, she said she would have CNAs help her find the source of the smell. She would check incontinent residents, she said, and get maintenance and housekeeping involved.
That was eight days after inspectors first documented the odor.
Administrative Nurse D, interviewed on March 23 around the time inspectors completed their walk-through, said staff should find the source of the odor. Her suggestion: give residents urinals that have lids, or make sure urine gets dumped more often.
Administrative Staff A, also interviewed that same morning, said her goal for the facility was that there be no foul odors in the building. She acknowledged the facility had a resident who urinates in places other than the bathroom. Housekeeping, she said, cleans it up as soon as it's seen.
The facility's own Quality of Life and Home Environment policy, though undated, describes what residents are supposed to receive: a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment. Pleasant, neutral scents. Person-centered care emphasizing comfort and personal needs.
What inspectors found on March 23 was something different. Open urinals on floors. A urine smell in the room where residents eat their meals. Dirty, sticky floors with dried spills that had not been cleaned. Laundry piled in tubs a hallway away from the kitchen.
CMS rated the harm level as minimal, with potential for actual harm, and noted that some residents were affected. The deficiency was cited under the standard requiring facilities to maintain a clean, homelike environment.
For the 54 people who live at Legacy on 10th Avenue, the dining room foyer is not a place they pass through once. It is part of the daily rhythm of where they eat, where they gather, where they spend their time. The smell was there when inspectors arrived. According to the record, no one had traced it to a source or resolved it before they left.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Legacy On 10th Avenue from 2026-03-31 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 17, 2026 · Our methodology
LEGACY ON 10TH AVENUE in TOPEKA, KS was cited for violations during a health inspection on March 31, 2026.
It wasn't contained to resident rooms.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened at LEGACY ON 10TH AVENUE?
- It wasn't contained to resident rooms.
- How serious are these violations?
- Violation severity varies from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the inspection report for specific deficiency codes and scope. All violations must be corrected within required timeframes and are subject to follow-up verification inspections.
- What should families do?
- Families should: (1) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (2) Request to see the follow-up inspection report verifying corrections, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspection reports, (4) Compare this facility's ratings with other nursing homes in TOPEKA, KS, (5) Report any new concerns directly to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- The complete inspection report is available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request a copy directly from LEGACY ON 10TH AVENUE or from the state Department of Health. The report includes specific deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines. This facility's federal provider number is 175113.
- Has this facility had violations before?
- To check LEGACY ON 10TH AVENUE's history, visit Medicare.gov's Care Compare and review their inspection history, quality ratings, and staffing levels. Look for patterns of repeated violations, especially in critical areas like abuse prevention, medication management, infection control, and resident safety.