ACIL is a 67-bed adult living facility, according to the State Department of Health.\u00a0ACIL did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
Sweeney said the facility is being shut down for violations of the State Fire Code, the State Property Maintenance Code and various violations of the town code.<\/p>\n
Violations involve many \u201csmaller items\u201d that alone might not rise to a level of concern, but collectively demonstrate the building is not safe, he said. He cited roof leaks affecting resident rooms on both floors of the two-floor structure, potential mold issues, stacked materials in stairwells in front of electrical panels, hydraulic fluid leaking from the building\u2019s elevator, an insufficiently repaired leak in the kitchen\u2019s gas appliances, and other code violations.<\/p>\n
Residents will not be allowed to return to the facility until the building\u2019s owners meet with a compliance plan, subject to the town\u2019s approval, that will remedy each violation. Sweeney anticipates that could take at least a month, depending on the scope of repairs needed.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, the town is working with state health regulators to relocate residents to facilities in the area that have space to accommodate them. Sweeney said the town\u2019s senior services department is working with DOH to coordinate an orderly and safe transition for the residents.<\/p>\n
Sweeney said under no circumstance will a resident \u201cbe out on the street.\u201d \u201cWe want a safe transition for these people,\u201d Sweeney said. If alternative housing still needs to be found for a handful of residents by tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. they will be allowed to remain in the facility until that housing is found.<\/p>\n
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A wiring panel at 141 Rockefeller Road in Delmar.<\/p>\n
Town of Bethlehem<\/p>\n
Sweeney was confident that the DOH would find temporary housing in the area for each resident. He recognized that relocation would disrupt residents, but said it was not safe for them to remain at ACIL. He said in speaking to residents, many are eager to have the repairs made and glad that the town and DOH is stepping in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department is coordinating with the facility, residents, families, and local partners to support a safe and orderly relocation consistent with the Town\u2019s order,\u201d said\u00a0DOH Communications Specialist John Emery of the Public Affairs Group in a written statement. \u201cOur oversight activities remain ongoing, and appropriate regulatory action will be taken based on those findings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, State DOH launched an investigation into ACIL after Bethlehem town officials filed complaints about poor living conditions.<\/p>\n
The investigation, confirmed by town Supervisor David VanLuven, focuses on conditions found at the home after Bethlehem officials visited the facility last week in response to an Aug. 23 police call about a dinner meal not being served and earlier issues with an inoperative elevator.<\/p>\n
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Water damage\u00a0at 141 Rockefeller Road in Delmar.<\/p>\n
Town of Bethlehem<\/p>\n
Emery said that DOH staff are on-site at ACIL and working closely with town and facility representatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe New York State Department of Health takes the health and safety of adult care facility and nursing home residents very seriously,\u201d Emery said.<\/p>\n
Violations in years prior<\/p>\n
The Lutheran Care Network operated the facility for years. That changed in 2019, when the organization filed for bankruptcy and ACIL and the neighboring Delmar Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing began operating under the Centers Health Care through court-appointed receivership.<\/p>\n
Delmar AH Realty Associates, LLC and Delmar ASF Realty Associates, LLC are two of the Limited liability companies associated with New Jersey-based Emerald Health Care Group, which acquired both properties in July 2025 for just under $7.5 million, according to Albany County property records.<\/p>\n
A resident council member, who has lived at ACIL for five years, said the owners let the building fall into disrepair.<\/p>\n
In February, the\u00a0facility\u2019s operator agreed to pay a $3,000 civil penalty\u00a0to avoid an administrative hearing stemming from an Aug. 15, 2025 inspection that uncovered numerous violations \u201cwhich constitute \u2018endangerment\u2019\u201d under state law, according to the settlement agreement.<\/p>\n
Facility operators ultimately admitted to 43 violations pertaining to admission standards, resident services, food services, personnel, record keeping, environmental standards and disaster and emergency planning.<\/p>\n
Days after the settlement agreement was finalized, the facility received four more violations related to admission standards, resident protections, and resident services, according to public records.<\/p>\n
Town seeks to help<\/p>\n
Sweeney said the closure decision came two weeks after the town was first alerted to an elevator issue. Since then, town officials made multiple visits to the site and discovered water damage, electrical issues and other code violations. Sweeney said it soon became determined that there was a system problem.<\/p>\n
VanLuven said he learned of the building\u2019s conditions when a town senior services department employee contacted him to describe what they found.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is happening there is deplorable,\u201d he said. \u201cNo one should have to live like that. There are reports of bed bugs, mold, cockroaches, and meals not being served timely and safely and the kitchen not being properly maintained.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he immediately met with Bethlehem Police Investigator Douglas Austin, Bethlehem Police Sgt. Dan Callahan, Assistant Building Inspector Steven Hummel and Senior Services Department Assistant Director Jennifer Casale, all of whom had been to the facility that week, to determine the extent of Bethlehem\u2019s jurisdiction and what could be done.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Police Deputy Chief James Rexford said the department cannot comment on an open investigation.<\/p>\n
VanLuven said the town\u2019s jurisdiction is limited to building structural issues, but \u201cwe saw public health emergency issues.\u201d He said Casale and Hummel had already filed complaints with the State DOH.<\/p>\n
In her complaint, Casale said residents reported no hot water for 10 days, no toilet paper, and no dinner on Aug. 23. She wrote that Yoni Lautman, the administrator, told her the hot water was off for three hours, not 10 days; toilet paper was available and stored at the nursing home across the parking lot at 125 Rockefeller Road, and could be brought over upon request. As for the missing dinner, she reported Lautman said pizza was delivered to everyone.<\/p>\n
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On Aug. 25, according to Casale\u2019s complaint, she visited ACLI again. Residents told her two rooms on the second floor leaked from the roof, one room had bed bugs and the kitchen had maggots. Casale then toured those rooms and the kitchen with Ombudsman Stephen Rainford, who was present and had room keys.<\/p>\n
According to the complaint, that tour confirmed the water leaks. A maintenance worker was fixing the ceilings. In the room with the purported bedbugs, a worker said an exterminator was coming the next day.<\/p>\n
As stated in the complaint, Rainford told Casale that the kitchen was locked and closed due to an old gas leak. He said meals were prepared at the nearby nursing facility, but unsure where they were plated. When they unlocked the kitchen, which is adjacent to the dining room, they saw \u201cplates of food from lunch, flies, maggots on the floor, dirty utensils from lunch in the sink, and a chest freezer full of ice cream and food with a lid that did not close all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
A maintenance worker said food is plated in that kitchen. Casale again spoke with the Lautman, who said the kitchen would be cleaned and Chinese food ordered for dinner. Casale also raised concerns about cleanliness standards and whether the Chinese fare would meet any applicable dietary restrictions.<\/p>\n
Elevator out of order<\/p>\n
On Aug. 16, the town\u2019s building division was notified by the Elsmere Fire Department that ACIL\u2019s elevator was not working. Assistant Building Inspector Steven Hummel said his department immediately began working to address the breakdown.<\/p>\n
On Aug. 24, when residents complained they still could not use the elevator, Casale spoke to Lautman. He told Casale that town inspectors said residents could not use the elevator for 30 days. However, according to a document signed by Hummel, the facility\u2019s Building Manager and Complex Manager, the 30-day period was for monitoring, not prohibiting use. Instead, the only limitation was not admitting new residents to the second floor and moving a second-floor resident with mobility issues to a first-floor room, if one became available. It concluded that if the elevator operated properly at the end of the thirty-day monitoring period, the town would consider allowing residents to return to the second floor.<\/p>\n
Town keeps pushing for more action<\/p>\n
On Aug. 26, VanLuven sent an additional complaint to Heidi Hayes, DOH Director, Center for Residential Surveillance, Office of Aging & Long Term Care, asking for an immediate investigation and action. He said Hayes responded immediately and advised that DOH will investigate. \u201cThey are working with our staff hand in hand,\u201d VanLuven said.<\/p>\n
VanLuven credits the DOH with taking the town\u2019s concerns \u201cseriously and responding appropriately and immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also lauded the town\u2019s police, building inspection and senior services departments for their \u201ccompassion and rapid response in a terrible situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moving is not an option for many residents. \u201cIf I move out of here and go somewhere else, it costs a lot of money, and I can\u2019t afford it,\u201d one resident said. \u201cI think I\u2019m stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sweeney said he expects the owners to cooperate. \u201cWe don\u2019t need their agreement to shut it down,\u201d he said. But he hopes they will make the required repairs and, once having done so, will want to protect their investment by maintaining the facility in compliance with applicable codes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the facility could take legal action to challenge the shutdown. But he warned if they do, \u201cwe will take appropriate action in response.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone at the town just wants what\u2019s best for the residents,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are just trying to do our best to protect them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chad Arnold contributed to this article.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"DELMAR \u2014 Forty-five people must leave their apartments on Rockefeller Road by tomorrow after the town shuttered the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":278493,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154,60,744,139,116583],"class_list":["post-278492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-business","tag-government","tag-news","tag-towns"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278492\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}