By Mackenna Moralez

A Veteran Affairs nursing home in Arizona was closed last week after rats were discovered in the housing area. 

Nursing home staff noticed a crack in the ceiling on July 22, which caused a deeper investigation to find rat activity on the first and second floors of the facility, according to USA Today. At the time of the investigation, the second floor was not occupied by residents. However, 25 residents were forced to relocate. Phoenix VA medical director Michael Welsh did not specify when the nursing home began moving them. 

“We immediately started planning to get the residents out of that environment to a safer environment,” Stephanie Kendricks, chief nurse of the Phoenix VA center said in a press conference. “For us, we were able to send them [residents] to some of our sister facilities which also follow the same mission, and they are also a veteran center. Patient safety was first.” 

There was no interaction between rodents, staff and residents within the facility. Residents aged from their 70s to 106.  

It is believed that recent monsoon storms caused the pests to move into the nursing home. It has not been determined when the veterans will be able to return to the facility.