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:
Unclean Bed Linens: A resident with hypothyroidism and chronic diastolic heart failure had a pillowcase with several dry dark brown/red areas and sheets that appeared gray and unclean. The resident could not remember the last time the linens were changed, and the DON confirmed the linens should have been changed.
Dirty Resident Room and Respiratory Equipment: A resident with dysphagia, a feeding tube, and a tracheostomy had a room observed with a dirty fan, debris on the mattress, dust and dried debris on the O2 concentrator and trach machine, and a dirty towel on the bed. A family member reported the area by the bed was often dirty from tube feeding, and an LPN Resident Care Manager agreed the room was dirty and needed daily cleaning.
A resident’s room and the second-floor hallway had missing baseboards, including under the window in the room and periodically along both sides of the hall. During interview, an Mnt. employee stated the machine must be hitting them and that they had been taken off.
A resident room wall near the window was observed damaged and in disrepair, with a crack large enough for an ink pen to be inserted through it. The Maintenance Director said he knew about the damage after the resident reported it about 2 weeks earlier and believed it was caused by an AC leak. The damaged area covered about 6 square feet, while the Administrator said she was not aware of it and that the facility did not have a specific audit for wall or structural integrity checks.
Unsafe and Deteriorated Resident Room Conditions: Surveyors observed multiple resident rooms with broken, rusted, unsecured, and deteriorated conditions, including a hanging drawer front, scuffed and chipped walls, missing wall trim/chair rails, rust on a bedframe and AC shelf, a broken bathroom tile, and a gallon of Clorox stored in a bathroom. The Maintenance Director acknowledged the environmental conditions during the walkthrough, and photographic evidence was obtained.
The facility failed to maintain a clean, safe, and homelike environment. Surveyors observed dirty hallway vents, ceiling areas with residue, damaged walls, protruding door panel edges, missing tile and cracked flooring in shower areas, and multiple unsanitary conditions in resident rooms, including cracked light covers with bugs, uncovered soiled items, and substances on floors, mattresses, bed sheets, and bedside tables. Two residents’ wheelchairs also had dried substances and hair buildup, and staff acknowledged some areas needed repair or cleaning.
Unclean Bed Linens
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide housekeeping services necessary to maintain clean bed linens for one resident. Facility policy stated bed linens are to be changed at least weekly and whenever clinically indicated or requested by the resident. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including hypothyroidism and chronic diastolic heart failure, and the care plan included an intervention to keep bed linen clean due to impaired skin. During observations, the resident’s pillowcase had several dry areas of a dark brown/red substance and the bed sheets had a gray hue and appeared unclean. The resident stated he/she could not remember the last time the sheets were changed. The DON later confirmed that the pillowcase had dark brown/red areas, the sheets appeared unclean, and the bed linens should have been changed.
Dirty Resident Room and Respiratory Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a homelike environment for Resident 6, who was admitted in 2022 with diagnoses including dysphagia and whose annual MDS dated 10/25/25 showed a feeding tube for nutrition and a tracheostomy in place. During observation, the resident’s room contained a small black fan that was very dirty and dusty and appeared not to have been cleaned for a long time. The resident’s room was later observed with a mattress on the floor near the bed that appeared dirty with dried clear debris, an oxygen concentrator with dried clear debris and dust on it, a tracheostomy machine with dried white debris all over it, the black fan covered in dust, and a dirty towel on the resident’s bed. A family member stated the area next to the resident’s bed was dirty and often had liquid on it from the tube feeding and appeared gross. An LPN Resident Care Manager observed the room and agreed it was dirty and needed to be cleaned daily.
Missing Baseboards on Second-Floor Hallway and Resident Room
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a clean, safe, comfortable, and homelike environment on the second floor. During a tour with Maintenance Employee E9, Resident R171’s room was observed to have a missing part of a baseboard under the window, and the left side of the hallway had baseboards missing periodically down the hall. The right side of the hallway also had baseboards missing periodically down the hall. During an interview, Maintenance Employee E15 stated that the machine must be hitting the baseboards and that they had been taken off.
Damaged Resident Room Wall Left in Disrepair
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide maintenance services to keep a resident bedroom in good repair. In room [ROOM NUMBER], the wall near the window was observed to be damaged and in disrepair, with a crack large enough that the end of an ink pen could be inserted through the wall. The observation was made during a surveyor visit, and photographic evidence was obtained. When the wall was re-observed with the Maintenance Director, he stated he was aware of the damage and said the resident in the room had reported it about 2 weeks earlier. He stated he believed the damage was caused by the air conditioning leaking. The damaged area covered about 6 square feet and extended about 12 inches up the wall. The Administrator later stated she was not aware of the damage and said the facility had room rounds but did not have a specific audit to inspect walls and structural integrity. The facility policy stated that environmental repairs and upkeep would be addressed and corrected in a timely manner, with resident safety taking priority over cosmetic repairs.
Unsafe and Deteriorated Resident Room Conditions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable environment when multiple resident rooms and resident-use areas were observed in damaged, deteriorated, unsecured, or unsanitary condition in 8 of 64 rooms observed. During observations, surveyors found a broken and hanging drawer front on a built-in wall cabinet, scuffed walls with chipped and scraped paint, rusted air return vent grilles, unsecured trim adjacent to a grille, rust on a bedframe, a broken bathroom floor tile, missing wall trim/chair rail leaving unfinished wall areas, a gallon of Clorox in a bathroom, and a metal air conditioning shelf with visible rust. One room also had a dresser that was scratched and heavily exposed the wood underneath the paint. Additional observations showed more rooms with scuffed walls, chipped and scraped paint, missing wall trim/chair rail, exposed torn sheetrock, and chipped and scraped paint beneath a window. During an interview and walkthrough, the Maintenance Director acknowledged the identified environmental conditions requiring repair or correction. Photographic evidence was obtained of all the issues observed.
Cleanliness, Safety, and Equipment Sanitation Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure residents were provided with a clean, safe, and homelike environment. Surveyors observed multiple areas of disrepair and cleanliness concerns throughout the building, including shower room flooring with dark residue and chipped, open penetrations, hallway vents and ceiling areas with black, gray, and cobweb-like substances, wall gouges, and dining room ceiling vents and lights with dry splattering and rust-colored residue. The facility’s maintenance manager and maintenance director stated they were aware of some of the shower room and panel issues and knew repairs were needed. Surveyors also observed unsafe conditions in resident areas and common spaces. Plastic door panels outside two rooms had protruding edges, the south hall shower room had two large holes where tile was missing and a smaller crack, and staff acknowledged the flooring needed correction. In resident rooms, surveyors observed cracked light covers containing bugs, gouges in walls and railings, a missing bathroom door, a thick black substance at a room entrance threshold, and uncovered soiled items such as an isolation bin with soiled linen and a bedpan on the floor under the sink. Equipment cleanliness concerns were also identified. Two residents’ wheelchairs had dried substances on the cushions and wheels, with hair accumulated in the wheel mechanisms, and a CNA stated night shift should have cleaned the wheelchairs. In another room, surveyors observed mattresses with dried brown and white substances, a mattress leaning against the wall with dried white substance, dried substances on the floor and bed sheets, and a bedside table with dried brown substance. Facility logs reviewed did not document cleaning of hallway vents, mats, or mattresses at the bedside, and the Housekeeping Supervisor stated vents should have been cleaned and that nurse aides were responsible for cleaning body fluids from mattresses and mats before housekeeping cleaned them.
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