Nursing home roof leak addressed promptly; residents in no danger

Restoration work has started to repair Blue Ridge in Brookview House ceiling tiles damaged from water leaks in a new roof.

Brookview administrator Susan Sain was notified Sunday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m. that ceiling tiles were falling in sections of the main dining room, front entrance and in front of the nurses station. There were two unoccupied rooms in a rehabilitation unit which had leaks.

"There were no residents in the area where the tile fell and what did fall was mush," Sain said. "All residents were removed from the area and taken to their rooms."

Brookview House is owned by Frank Sossamon. Built in 1978, the facility has been leased to different management groups to operate a longterm care and rehabilitation unit in Gaffney.

Brookview has been the target of negative social media reports after news broke about the water leaks early this week.

A roofing contractor had an entire crew at the long-term care facility that Sunday evening from 7-11 p.m. to inspect and make emergency repairs on the year-old roof. The contractor completed roof patches, pumped water off the roof, and removed any wet ceiling tiles.

"There is a drain on the new roof which is supposed to expand and contract," Sain said. "The roof was standing in water. It was like a swimming pool. We asked all visitors to leave the building. We did not want anyone falling. Our staff needed to focus on the residents. Our residents' safety is our number one priority."

Inspections traced the problem to a manufacturer's defect in a gasket which prevented the roof from draining water properly. Repairs are estimated to cost $163,606 in a repair plan approved for Brookview following a facility inspection this week by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Sain estimated only 1,250 square feet of the 51,000 square foot was impacted by the leaks.

Dehumidifiers have been placed in offices and the dining room area to dry out wet places.

Brookview staff were able to begin using some areas of the dining room in time for supper May 23, two days after the initial roof patches were completed. A section of the dining room remains closed while ceiling tiles, duct work and other restoration work is completed.

Families have been understanding about how Brookview staff have handled the situation.

"There has not been a single family who has called and asked us to find a placement elsewhere for their residents," Sain said.