MIDVALE, Utah — An investigation by the Salt Lake County Health Department over "concerning conditions" led to the closure Wednesday of an assisted living facility in Midvale.
Nicholas Rupp with the health department said investigators discovered an "imminent health hazard" at Evergreen Place Wednesday following a report by police, and ordered it closed for sanitation immediately.
The home is located in the 150 East block at 7800 South.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said her department had been looking into Evergreen Place for a long period of time regarding different complaints, leading to a Metro Mental Health Unit investigation.
"The conditions here were deplorable," said Rivera. "We wanted to make sure the people who were residents here were safe, so we called the health department, we called Unified Fire Authority and they are going to be condemning this place and making sure the residents are no longer in there because it is a deplorable place for them to be."
On Wednesday, the state sent the owners of Evergreen Place a "notice of warning" saying they were operating an unlicensed health care facility. The letter said anyone owning such a facility without being licensed could be found guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
State records show the facility's business registration had expired on Oct. 27, 2021.
RIGHT NOW: @UPDSL, @FireAuthority & @RideUTA are at 163 E 7800 S along with members of @SaltLakeHealth.
— 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐞 (@brian_schnee) January 26, 2022
People from inside the home have been loaded onto a bus wearing PPE. One put into an ambulance. pic.twitter.com/IyTccGk4xb
Rupp did not disclose exactly what the health hazards were, but implied it had to do with food handling or food storage. Sewage issues and other public health issues also lead to the building's closure.
Recent inspections show Evergreen Place was cited for various cleanliness issues, including multiple sightings of mouse droppings and a dead mouse found inside the kitchen. In January 2018, the facility was served with a critical violation after it was found to not have a certified food safety manager.
The health department is working with several organizations to get the residents of the facility relocated. Several people from inside the home were seen wearing personal protective gear while being loaded onto a bus, while one was taken to an ambulance
Rivera said the owners of Evergreen Place could face a number of criminal charges.
"Many of these [residents] have various issues, health issues, mental health issues and it's their responsibility, if you're running a facility like this, to take care of the individuals who are housed here," Rivera said.
