After Ida deaths, Louisiana revokes nursing home licenses

Louisiana health officials are revoking the licenses of seven nursing homes that were evacuated to a warehouse where residents died after Hurricane Ida amid conditions deemed squalid

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Louisiana health officials announced Tuesday they are revoking the licenses of nursing homes that were evacuated to a warehouse where seven residents died amid deteriorating conditions after Hurricane Ida. The seven homes — all owned by one person — “clearly failed to execute their emergency preparedness plans to provide essential care and services to their residents,” Department of Health Secretary Courtney Phillips said in a statement. Authorities found some seniors lying on mattresses on the floor, without food or clean clothes, and detected strong odors of feces in the warehouse, located in the town of Independence. State health officials have launched an investigation into the deaths. A police official said the warehouse was equipped to handle 300 to 500 people but ultimately took in more than 800, all of whom were evacuated from the seven nursing homes before Ida roared ashore in southeast Louisiana on Aug. 29.