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Resident alleges medication and sanitation problems at Our Place shelter; county manager pledges follow-up
Summary
A resident at the Our Place shelter told Washoe County commissioners of alleged health and safety problems after VOA took over management; county staff said they would follow up and check whether staff receive trauma-informed care training.
A Washoe County resident described multiple alleged health, privacy and sanitation problems at the Our Place emergency shelter during public comment Oct. 28, and county staff said they would follow up.
"Since VOA has taken over, the gate does not close. Anybody can come on that property... The night before last, they cleaned out their refrigerator, mixing 4 of our insulins, so I no longer had my insulin," resident Virginia Wiggins told the Board. She said staff told her she could no longer take insulin in the privacy of her assigned sleeping area and that shelter staff had mixed residents' medications in a single refrigerator.
Wiggins also described sanitation issues and said the shelter lacked a medicine log and adequate privacy for administering injections. "By law, an emergency shelter has to allow me to keep my insulin," she said, adding that she is diabetic and immune compromised.
County Manager Kate Thomas acknowledged the complaint and told commissioners staff would follow up. "We've got to follow-up on this. I've also gotten a complaint about whether we have staff that are trained in trauma informed care... I don't know if we can have a staff person follow-up with her," Thomas said. Chair Alexis Hill and other commissioners asked staff to arrange follow up and coordination with relevant departments.
What was not specified: Wiggins named Volunteers of America (VOA) as the current operator. The public comment raised specific allegations — shelter gate security, a shared refrigerator with mixed insulin, and an alleged restriction on private medication administration — but the transcript does not include a VOA response or confirmation from shelter staff.
Next steps: County manager and staff said they would follow up with the resident and review training and policies, including whether shelter operations comply with medical privacy and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements mentioned by the speaker.
