Carlton at the Lake: Mice in Resident Rooms - Chicago, IL
When inspectors visited on May 27, 2026, they found no traps in her room. No glue boards. No black box traps. Nothing. The room had been listed in the facility's own Pest Control Sighting Log as treated on April 30, 2026.
It had not been treated.
The resident, identified in inspection records as R15, told a housekeeper she had seen mice. The housekeeper reported it to a supervisor. The sighting went into the log. And that, for weeks, was where it ended.
R15 shared a room with R14 and R16. The mice, R15 explained to inspectors, ran a regular route: from R16's trash can near the window to R14's laundry bin and nightstand, back and forth, in the daytime, while residents were awake and present.
The facility's Maintenance Director, identified in the report as V22, described the approach to mouse control during an interview that morning. Staff place flat glue boards under vents and behind doors in rooms where mice have been reported, V22 said. When a mouse is caught, they throw the trap away and put in a new one. Sometimes, V22 added, they also put diamond-shaped black box traps in residents' rooms.
After the interview, V22 walked with inspectors to check the rooms listed on the facility's sighting log, including R15's room. V22 looked in every corner. Checked under the vents. Found nothing. V22 did not have an explanation.
The pest control company's own Service Inspection Report from the April 30 visit listed other rooms and locations as serviced. R15's room was not among them, despite the facility log recording it as treated that day.
The same pattern appeared on a different floor. R17 told inspectors there were mice in the room and that it had been reported. The facility log showed the room was reported on April 14 and listed as treated on April 15. The pest control company's report from that visit described setting up three glue boards under the radiator. When inspectors checked, there was one black box trap and no glue boards. V22 could not explain why the glue boards were absent.
R17 and R18 were roommates.
Five residents in a sample of nine were affected by what inspectors described as a failure to provide effective and consistent mice control.
The gap between what the facility's logs recorded and what inspectors actually found in the rooms is the center of the inspection's findings. Treatment was logged. Treatment was not done. The pest control company visited and, at least in these rooms, did not service them. The facility's own records said otherwise.
The facility's pest control policy, dated July 3, 2025, states that the facility will ensure an effective pest control process throughout the building.
R15 said the mice came out every day, all colors, and ran their route while she watched.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Carlton At the Lake, The from 2026-05-28 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Download the official CMS inspection PDF from Medicare.gov
Additional Resources
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: September 20, 2026 · Our methodology
CARLTON AT THE LAKE, THE in CHICAGO, IL was cited for violations during a health inspection on May 28, 2026.
When inspectors visited on May 27, 2026, they found no traps in her room.
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.