VA shuts down nursing home

By Associated Press

Summary

The Department of Veterans Affairs is transferring patients out of its Walla Walla nursing home after an outside review raised concerns about the quality of care.

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Story Published: Jul 24, 2008 at 2:24 PM PST

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 10:40 PM PST

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - The Department of Veterans Affairs is transferring patients out of its Walla Walla nursing home after an outside review raised concerns about the quality of care.

The Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center has 30 beds devoted to long-term nursing care. The nursing building is about 80 years old, and the outside review raised concerns about sloping floors, narrow doors and hallways and patients' access to outside doors.

The review also raised concerns about administrative control of medication and the competence of nursing staff using intravenous catheter lines.

Two patients already were scheduled to be sent home. Administrators are working to find placements for the remaining eight patients by Friday evening.