Violations at Pittsburgh Assisted Living Facility

August 2008

An assisted living facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been given one month to fix violations discovered by the state Department of Public Welfare (DPW). Inspectors found multiple violations at the Residence on Fifth, located in the neighborhood of Oakland, some of which were repeat offenses.

The violations found at the facility include insufficient fire evacuation plans, medication record problems, and failure to perform an annual assessment for one resident. Repeat violations included evacuation plan deficiencies, which were discovered during earlier inspections. State inspectors will return to the Residence on Fifth before the facility's license expires on September 13.

These problems have arisen at a time when the DPW is getting ready to fine home operators for repeat violations. Fines will cost as much as $20 a day per resident, and the most serious offenses will have to be fixed within a day. The Residence on Fifth is owned by West Penn Allegheny Health System and is operated by Wexford, PA-based IntegraCare Corp., which also manages assisted living facilities in Butler, Greensburg, Mount Lebanon, and Kennedy Township.