Discovery of mold closes elders home

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Discovery of mold closes elders home

Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH

By Shir Haberman

shaberman@...

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20070418/NEWS/704180367

PORTSMOUTH — Mold found in the walls of the Mark Wentworth Home has

forced the closure of that elder care facility.

The 38 patients living in the Pleasant Street home will be moved to

other comparable facilities around the region until the problem is

rectified, said Henson, chairman of the home's board.

" We have temporarily suspended operations at the Wentworth Home

starting now through January of next year, " Henson said. " The staff

has identified beds that are appropriate for the patients and their

families, and we expect the building to be empty by May 15. "

The home was undergoing a renovation and restoration project

intended to make it more comfortable for residents. The project

began last year and as part of the process, crews were doing some

work at the Melcher Street exit of the building that involved

removing the brick facing in that area.

" We found a significant amount of water infiltration in that area,

so we went farther and found water had infiltrated the entire 1987

addition, " Henson said, referring to the back side of the

building. " The next step was doing some testing, and we found some

fungal growth. "

The home immediately hired The Lawson Group Ltd. out of

Concord to do testing. The group issued a report on March 27 that

helped the board make the decision to shut the facility down while

cleanup is in progress.

" At this time, indoor, airborne fungal levels do not indicate indoor

amplification and/or a recognized risk to building occupants, " the

report reads. " However, the results of bulk samples and air samples

inside wall cavities reveal concentrations of fungi indicative of

microbial amplification in the southern wall of the 1987 wing.

" This warrants the implementation of short-term and long-term

corrective actions to ensure the safety and health of building

occupants, " the Lawson Group inspectors reported.

Of specific concern to the inspectors was discovery of a genus of

fungus known as Stachybotrys, which is known to produce and release

toxins during both the growth and decay processes. In health care

settings, where individuals may have compromised immune systems or

fragile respiratory systems, this fungus is particularly dangerous.

" Even though the Lawson Group says no one is at risk today, they

could be in the future, so we decided to shut the facility down, "

said Henson. " We really had no choice. "

Also leaving the home will be most of the 50-member staff. Henson

said most of those previously employed at the Wentworth Home have

found jobs at other area facilities.

The board chairman said patients and staff members who were forced

to leave because of the mold problem will be given first preference

when the home re-opens next year.

Henson said there is no estimate on the cost of the remediation work

necessary, but it won't affect the financial viability of the home.

And there may be a silver lining in this situation, Henson said.

" We expect final construction to be done three to four months

earlier than expected because the building will be entirely vacant

and contractors will not have to work around the patients, " he said.