KINGWOOD, Texas – Natalie Johnson reached out to our 2 Helps You for answers after she said her 92-year-old mother wasn’t able to get air conditioning at the rehabilitation center at HCA Houston Kingwood.
Two weeks ago, Johnson said her mother went to the emergency room when she wasn’t feeling well.
“They sent her to rehab. And then in rehab, three times they moved her because there was no air in her room,” said Johnson. “It was just stagnant heat.”
Pictures Johnson shared with KPRC 2 show the thermostat in the room reading 82.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Another picture shows it at 80.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Those numbers in the middle of the day in Houston or Kingwood, that’s just unreal,” said Johnson.
Johnson noted that her family members had to check on her mother more regularly due to the lack of air conditioning.
On Sunday, Johnson said staff was eventually able to get a portable A/C unit to her mother’s room, bringing the temperature down to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
KPRC 2 reached out to HCA Houston for a request for comment. A spokesperson said:
“At HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood, the safety and comfort of our patients is our top priority. The hospital is equipped to manage Houston’s extreme summer temperatures, and in the rare event of an HVAC disruption, we take immediate steps to maintain a safe and comfortable environment, including the use of portable AC units.”
We also looked into city, county, and state ordinances to see what kinds of protections exist for patients at hospitals.
The City of Houston stated there are currently no ordinances regulating what temperatures should be maintained at healthcare facilities. However, there is a city ordinance regulating air conditioning at apartments, requiring landlords to set cooling systems to 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature or at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, whichever is warmer.
In Harris County, there are also no ordinances for hospitals. However, assisted living facilities and nursing facilities are required to have backup generators. Texas nursing facilities must keep cooling systems at temperatures no higher than 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Take care of your patients and take care of the seniors and the elderly. Everybody should be on board,” said Johnson.
Johnson’s mother was medically cleared to be released from the facility on Tuesday.
