Despite 84 cases of COVID-19, another death and two years of problems cited in state and federal inspection reports at this long term care facility in Douglas County, the state health department is giving Life Care Center of Elkhorn a bit more rope.

According to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services the staffing levels here are “appropriate” to continue to care for the facilities 61 residents. For now, only those requiring hospitalization will be removed.

Those decisions followed a Monday inspection. The inspection results are not yet in.

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In the meantime the company reports six deaths, 57 residents testing positive; 27 staffers testing positive with ten residents in the hospital.

All this as News Channel Nebraska has found two years of state reports and inspections that resulted in two separate probations.

First, a three month trial in 2018 spurred by the “Facility’s Failure to Provide Toileting Assistance in a Manner to Maintain Dignity for a Resident.”

Then six months of probation in 2019 for the “Facility’s Failure to Protect Residents During an Investigation of Sexual Assault.”

That probation ended seven months before the COVID-outbreak hit.

At the same time it has been widely reported that the facility has a below average rating from Medicare-dot-gov. Federal documents note a series of deficiencies including one from last year that found a nurse “did not use hand sanitizer or wash hands” when dispensing medicine.

In February 2019, the government fined Life Care Center $62,072.

The State Health Department says numerous steps are being taken to protect those 61 residents here—all but four who have tested positive.