Failure to Maintain Safe and Comfortable Environment Due to HVAC Malfunction
Summary
The facility failed to provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment for residents in three hallways and common areas due to malfunctioning HVAC units. The heating system was not functioning properly, resulting in cold air blowing from the vents in resident rooms and common areas. Observations revealed that temperatures in these areas were below the required 71 degrees Fahrenheit, with some areas as low as 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The outside temperatures during this period ranged from 33 to 53 degrees Fahrenheit, exacerbating the issue. Interviews with the Acting Maintenance Director and other staff indicated that the HVAC system had been malfunctioning for several weeks, and parts were needed for repairs. However, there was a lack of communication and action to address the immediate discomfort of residents. The Acting Maintenance Director was not instructed to place portable heaters, and the Administrator was not fully aware of the extent of the issue until surveyor intervention. Residents expressed feeling cold, with some observed shivering and inadequately covered with blankets. The facility's policy on emergency preparedness for loss of heating was not effectively implemented. The policy required immediate notification of maintenance and administration, temperature monitoring, and provision of additional clothing and blankets to residents. However, these measures were not adequately executed, leading to an unsafe and uncomfortable environment for residents. The deficiency was identified as Immediate Jeopardy, indicating a severe risk to resident health and safety.
Removal Plan
- DON assessed Residents #1, #2, #3, #4 affected by the uncomfortable temperature and were provided extra blankets and nursing added layers of clothing on affected residents. Residents were offered to be taken to the dining room where the HVAC is operating. Nursing staff immediately began monitoring resident's vitals, temperature, and any other cold-related health concerns. MD was notified and no new orders were given.
- DON assessed 100% of the residents and identified that no other residents were to be at risk.
- Facility purchased anti-tip portal heaters HVAC vendor was contacted to request industrial portable heaters. HVAC vendor arrived and installed 4 industrial portable heaters to compensate for the HVAC failure and will remain in place until HVAC is repaired.
- The administrator and maintenance supervisor routinely rechecked temperatures on Hall B 72, Hall C 70, Hall D 75, room [ROOM NUMBER] room [ROOM NUMBER], room [ROOM NUMBER], room [ROOM NUMBER], Common Area B, room [ROOM NUMBER], room [ROOM NUMBER] and readjusted the temporary HVAC unit until the temperatures reached 71 degrees. The maintenance director/trained designee will conduct the temperature checks every 2 hours and make adjustment to the temporary heating unit as needed until HVAC is fixed. The administrator will oversee the temperature log for accuracy.
- A regional contractor assessed the HVAC unit and determined the heater exchange was not functioning, and a certified HVAC specialist conducted a follow-up assessment. Contractor revealed transmitter conductor was not connected. When contractor connected the conductor the HVAC unit started working and hot air started blowing out in the front section of Hall B. The shorter section of Hall B and Hall C require a higher voltage electric wire, requiring electrician to install and then heater exchanger needs to be installed. Electrician will come to the facility to connect the higher voltage that is required on hallway B and C. Anticipated repair date for when the heater exchange needs to be installed and when the contractor connected the conductor.
- Administrator and DON reviewed Policies and Procedures for Emergency Preparedness on Loss of Heating Element which will include Educating Staff on Initial Response, How to Monitor Temperature, Ensuring Resident Safety and Comfort, Completing Resident Assessment and Monitoring, Staffing Coordination, Notifying families, and Regulatory Compliance. No change was needed.
- The Regional Nurse Consultant educated DON and Administrator on emergency preparedness- loss of heating element- topics to include initial response, temperature monitoring, resident safety and comfort, resident assessment and monitoring, communication and regulatory compliance.
- The Administrator and DON educated all staff on emergency preparedness heating elements to include initial response, temperature monitoring, resident safety and comfort, resident assessment and monitoring, communication and regulatory compliance, and reporting failure of HVAC system and temperatures outside of normal range to administrator immediately. Staff will receive education before start of their next shift and new hires will receive education at orientation.
- The Administrator educated the Acting Maintenance Director on routine temperature check for HVAC failure and reporting temperature outside of normal range. Educated to also include emergency preparedness heating elements.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Surveyors found that multiple residents on a memory care hall were living in rooms and bathrooms with visible feces on toilets and floors, urine puddled on toilet risers, sticky and soiled floors, and strong putrid odors, despite facility policies stating that rooms and bathrooms should be cleaned daily. A resident reported that the bathroom had not been cleaned for several days. The housekeeper assigned to the hall described using a “trash and dash” method in some rooms, only removing trash and not mopping unless floors appeared obviously sticky, and acknowledged that one aggressive resident’s room was not cleaned at all the prior day. The HS had not recently checked this housekeeper’s work on the hall, and CNAs and a UM/LPN confirmed that residents had not refused housekeeping services.
Surveyors found that the facility failed to maintain safe, functional shower floors, resulting in pooled water and damaged tile surfaces in multiple resident bathrooms. Observations showed cracked, broken, and missing tiles, missing grout, and uneven surfaces, with water not draining properly and pooling after showers. A resident and a CNA confirmed that the tiles were damaged and drainage was poor, while facility policy stated that the environment should be homelike and comfortable.
A resident with multiple chronic conditions, impaired ROM, and risk for skin breakdown was observed lying on a bare bariatric mattress without a fitted sheet. The resident reported rarely having a fitted sheet because the facility lacked appropriately sized linens for bariatric beds. The Housekeeping Director confirmed ongoing difficulty obtaining fitted sheets for these beds and reliance on flat sheets, and the ADON confirmed the resident was on a bare mattress, contrary to the facility’s resident rights policy for a safe, clean, and comfortable environment.
A resident with multiple chronic conditions and documented intact cognition had a bed curtain with visible dark red splatter stains and linear black marks that remained uncleaned despite the resident’s request for cleaning. A CNA confirmed the stains, and Risk Management acknowledged there was no specific environmental policy, indicating such concerns were covered under a general resident rights policy that referenced safe and secure housing. This resulted in a deficiency related to failing to provide a safe, clean, and homelike environment.
The facility failed to maintain a sanitary, clean, and safe environment, including multiple resident rooms and common areas on a secured women’s behavioral unit and the main entrance. Several residents with impaired cognition and complex medical/psychiatric conditions were found in rooms with heavily soiled toilets, floors blackened with dirt and debris, dried blood and stool on bathroom floors, missing tiles, exposed drywall, and pest activity such as fruit flies and mouse droppings. A shared shower room used by all women on the unit was heavily soiled, with suspected mold, a broken drain, and a ceiling fan hanging from the ceiling, while the unit’s dining/activity room had a broken interior window with a sharp edge, a large hole in the wall, and non-functioning ceiling lights. One resident’s heating unit blew cold air despite reports it had been repaired, and her bathroom remained soiled and in disrepair. Another resident’s room contained evidence of mice, which she described as pets, without documented targeted pest treatment. At the main entrance, residents repeatedly smoked in a posted non-smoking area, and the entrance and surrounding landscaping were littered with cigarette butts, with no proper receptacle provided, despite a designated smoking area being located across the parking lot.
Surveyors found a strong, pervasive urine odor on one hall, traced to a cognitively intact resident with incontinence whose soiled clothing and linens were routinely placed in a pile on the floor near the room door for staff to collect. The resident reported this occurred daily and that additional soiled items were added after housekeeping cleaned. CNAs and an LPN confirmed the malodor, the presence of saturated laundry on the floor, and a bagged soiled comforter the resident refused to have laundered, noting the odor was an ongoing problem and that some residents kept their doors closed because of it. Fourteen other residents lived on the same hall, despite a facility policy requiring a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment with neutral scents.
Failure to Maintain Clean and Sanitary Resident Rooms and Bathrooms on Memory Care Unit
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain a clean, sanitary, and homelike environment on the 300-hall memory care unit, affecting 12 residents out of 30 on that hall. During an observation period, surveyors and the Housekeeping Supervisor identified multiple resident rooms and bathrooms with visible feces on toilets, floors, and in open soiled briefs, as well as urine puddled on toilet risers, sticky floors, large amounts of food and fecal matter on floors, and strong putrid odors. Several toilets had visible buildup and rings, suggesting they had not been cleaned in some time, and fecal splatter remained in at least one toilet even after flushing. A resident reported that the bathroom was not cleaned often and that it had been a few days since the last cleaning. Interviews with housekeeping and nursing staff further described the practices that led to the unclean conditions. The housekeeper assigned to the memory care hall stated that he had cleaned all bathrooms the previous day but used a “trash and dash” approach for rooms that did not look bad to him, meaning he only removed trash and did not mop floors unless they were obviously sticky. He also reported that one aggressive resident’s room was not cleaned at all the previous day. The Housekeeping Supervisor acknowledged that all resident rooms and common areas were supposed to be cleaned seven days a week, but she had not checked this housekeeper’s work on the 300-hall and had last reviewed his work two weeks earlier on a different unit. CNAs and the Unit Manager/LPN reported that residents on the unit had not refused housekeeping services. Facility documents and the resident handbook stated that resident rooms and bathrooms were to be cleaned daily, with floors swept and mopped daily and more thorough weekly cleaning, which contrasted with the observed conditions and reported cleaning practices.
Failure to Maintain Safe and Properly Draining Shower Floors
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s failure to maintain resident shower floors in good repair, resulting in unsafe and non-homelike bathroom conditions for multiple residents. Observation of the shared bathroom for Residents #10 and #11 showed a large amount of water pooled on top of the shower tiles, with several tiles cracked, grout missing between multiple tiles, and an uneven tile surface. A separate observation of the bathroom used by Residents #35 and #38 revealed multiple broken and/or missing shower floor tiles and an uneven tile surface. Resident #35 confirmed that multiple tiles on the shower floor were missing or broken and that the water did not drain well. A CNA also confirmed that the shower floors in the bathrooms used by Residents #10, #11, #35, and #38 had missing, cracked, and broken tiles and that water did not drain correctly, causing pooling after residents’ showers. Review of the facility’s undated “Homelike Environment” policy showed the facility encouraged personalization and comfort of a home-like environment, but the observed shower conditions did not align with this policy. This deficiency represents noncompliance investigated under Complaint Number 2647177.
Failure to Provide Fitted Sheet for Bariatric Bed
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency related to the resident’s right to a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment when a resident was found lying on a bare mattress without a fitted sheet. Record review showed the resident was admitted with multiple complex medical diagnoses, including fluid overload, chronic kidney disease, morbid obesity, bipolar disorder, diabetes with chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, epilepsy, and other chronic conditions, and required assistance with personal care. A quarterly MDS assessment documented that the resident was alert, oriented, cognitively intact, had impaired range of motion in both upper and lower extremities, and was at risk for skin breakdown. During observation, surveyors noted that there was no fitted sheet on the resident’s bariatric bed. In an interview, the resident reported that he rarely had a fitted sheet on his bed because the facility did not have fitted sheets that fit his bariatric bed. The Housekeeping Director confirmed that there was no fitted sheet on the bed and acknowledged ongoing issues obtaining fitted sheets for bariatric beds, stating that flat sheets were usually used instead. The ADON confirmed that the resident did not have a fitted sheet on his bed and was lying directly on the bare mattress. Review of the facility’s Resident Rights policy indicated the facility was to provide resident-centered care that meets residents’ psychosocial, physical, and emotional needs and concerns.
Failure to Maintain Clean and Sanitary Bed Curtain for a Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a clean and sanitary bed curtain for one resident, compromising the resident’s right to a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment. The resident had multiple medical diagnoses, including type 2 diabetes mellitus with hyperglycemia, long-term insulin use, COPD, moderate protein-calorie malnutrition, epilepsy, a right artificial shoulder joint, an above-knee right leg amputation, polyneuropathy, anemia, and generalized anxiety disorder, and was documented as cognitively intact on the MDS. During observation, surveyors noted three dark red splatter stains on the resident’s bed curtain, with the largest measuring approximately 1 cm and two others approximately 0.5 cm, along with additional linear black stains on the curtain. The resident reported having requested that the bed curtain be cleaned, but stated the facility never cleaned it. A CNA confirmed the presence of stains on the bed curtain during interview. When interviewed, the facility’s Risk Management staff member stated that the facility did not have an environment policy and indicated that environmental concerns would fall under the facility’s undated “Resident Rights” policy, which stated that residents will be treated with dignity and respect and that dignity includes providing safe and secure housing. This lack of a specific environmental policy and the failure to clean the stained bed curtain led to the cited deficiency under the resident’s right to a safe, clean, and homelike environment.
Failure to Maintain Sanitary, Safe Environment and Proper Smoking Controls
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain a sanitary, clean, and safe environment for residents on the secured women’s behavioral unit and for residents using the main entrance. Multiple resident rooms and common areas were observed to be heavily soiled and in disrepair. One resident with schizophrenia, COPD, hypertension, hypothyroidism, schizoaffective disorder, and osteoarthritis, who had impaired cognition and required staff assistance with ADLs and medications, was found to have a bathroom with brown splatter on the walls behind and opposite the toilet, a heavily soiled toilet, and a floor blackened with dirt and debris. Her bedroom walls were soiled, scuffed, and had exposed drywall, with unknown splatter and dried substances around the receptacle and under the light. A CNA confirmed these conditions. Another resident with essential hypertension, antisocial personality disorder, inhalant abuse, DM, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, dementia, and anxiety disorder, who had severely impaired cognition and required supervision or set-up for ADLs and was dependent on staff for medications, was observed without sheets on her bed. Her bed contained a wadded-up blanket heavily soiled with yellow and brown substances and swarmed with fruit flies. The floor in front of the bed was blackened with dirt and debris, and a soiled incontinent brief with apparent blood and stool was on the bedroom floor, surrounded by reddish-brown droplets and brown dried splatter on the wall near the toilet. The bathroom floor was missing tiles. The CNA stated the blanket was soiled with urine and verified the room conditions. A housekeeper confirmed the presence of stool and blood on the bathroom floor and stated she does not clean up blood. Later observation showed the bathroom sink filled with brown water and cigarette butts, with no running hot or cold water, and dried blood on the floor. The maintenance supervisor acknowledged awareness of the non-functioning sink and standing brown water and stated no pest treatment had been provided to the room. On the women’s secured unit, the shared shower room used by all twelve residents had a floor blackened with dirt and heavily soiled, with unknown brown spots and splatter in the shower corners and up the walls. The toilet in the shower room was heavily soiled, the shower drain was partially broken, and the ceiling fan was hanging down with the ceiling spotted by an unknown black substance that a CNA stated appeared to be mold. The large dining/activity room on the unit had a half-broken window opening into the nurse’s station, leaving a sharp edge, and a large hole in the wall with exposed drywall beneath it. Five large ceiling lights in this room had no light bulbs. The maintenance supervisor verified the non-functioning lights and the hole in the wall and stated he was not aware of the broken window. Another resident with DM, hypertension, asthma, atherosclerotic heart disease, schizoaffective disorder, anxiety disorder, and GERD, who had impaired cognition and required supervision, moderate, or set-up assistance for ADLs and was dependent on staff for medications, reported that her room was very cold. She indicated her heating unit, covered with a blanket and with another blanket at the base of the window, was blowing cold air despite being told it had been fixed. Observation confirmed the unit was running but blowing cold air, and her bathroom was soiled, missing floor tiles, and had a heavily soiled toilet with a black ring. A CNA confirmed the room had been cold for some time and verified the bathroom conditions. The maintenance supervisor later confirmed the heater was blowing cold air and noted holes in the wall beside the bed and shredded privacy curtain pieces hanging from the ceiling. A further resident with impaired cognition and diagnoses including hypertension, DM, atherosclerotic heart disease, schizoaffective disorder, anxiety disorder, and cystitis was observed to have a dish of water under her sink and a large pile of what appeared to be mouse droppings under the sink. The sink did not drain correctly when water was running. The resident stated the dish of water was for mice living in a large hole in the corner under the sink and referred to the mouse as her pet. The maintenance supervisor stated he was aware of the mouse droppings and the mouse issue in the room and that the facility had been treated for mice. However, review of pest control work orders showed no specific treatments for fruit flies in the room with the soiled blanket and flies, or for mice in this resident’s room. At the main entrance, residents and staff used a double set of doors with a small concrete pad and awning. One resident was observed smoking directly outside the front doors in a posted non-smoking area. Numerous discarded cigarette butts were scattered across the ground near the front door, in the landscaping rocks on both sides of the doors, and around a trash can with a plastic liner, with no container provided for cigarette disposal. A CNA confirmed the resident was smoking in the non-smoking area and identified a designated smoking area across the parking lot, also verifying the scattered cigarette butts. The resident stated he often smoked by the main entrance doors. On a subsequent observation, two other residents were seen smoking directly outside the main entrance in the same non-smoking area, with the area still littered with cigarette butts on the ground and in the landscaping. An LPN confirmed the residents were smoking in the non-smoking area and verified the large amount of discarded cigarette butts. Facility policy stated that the maintenance department was responsible for maintaining the building, grounds, and equipment in a safe and operable manner at all times, including heating/cooling systems, plumbing fixtures, and ensuring lights were in good working condition, with the maintenance director responsible for inspection of the building.
Failure to Maintain Clean, Odor-Free Environment on Resident Hall
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide a clean, sanitary, and homelike environment on one hall, particularly in the room of Resident #3. Resident #3, who was cognitively intact and admitted with diagnoses including acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia, type 2 diabetes mellitus with hyperglycemia, and stage 3 chronic kidney disease, required set-up/clean-up assistance with toileting, showering, and personal hygiene and had mixed bladder incontinence. Her care plan directed staff to check frequently for incontinence, cleanse the perineum, apply barrier cream, change clothing as needed, and encourage the use of a chux pad and open brief in the chair during the day, with the resident notifying staff when she needed changing. Surveyors observed a strong, pervasive urine odor on the 600 hall during the initial tour and again on a later date, and staff confirmed the odor was coming from Resident #3’s room. Upon entering Resident #3’s room, surveyors observed a pile of laundry near the door. The resident reported that she places soiled laundry on the floor near the door every day for an aide to collect, and that the pile present had been there since earlier that morning; she also stated that when housekeeping came to clean, additional soiled laundry was added to the pile. CNAs confirmed the hall was malodorous, verified the presence of soiled clothing, and reported there was a bagged soiled down comforter in the room that the resident would not allow the facility to launder and was awaiting family pick-up. One CNA stated the odor on the hall was always a problem and that some residents had requested their doors be shut due to the odor; she also stated she had not known the soiled linen was on the floor until the survey and later verified that the collected laundry was saturated. Another resident on the hall confirmed preferring her door shut at times because of the odor. Fourteen other residents lived on the same hall, and the facility’s Homelike Environment policy required a safe, clean, comfortable environment with pleasant, neutral scents.
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