Facility Fails to Maintain Safe Room Temperatures
Summary
The facility failed to maintain comfortable and safe temperatures between 71°F and 81°F for all 20 residents reviewed, leading to temperatures in some rooms dropping as low as 64°F. The facility's heating system was not functioning properly, and portable space heaters were used as a temporary solution. However, these heaters did not adjust to room temperatures, resulting in inconsistent heating and leaving some residents cold. Observations and temperature measurements revealed that several rooms had temperatures below the required range, with some as low as 61.5°F. Interviews with residents and staff highlighted the discomfort and potential risks associated with the low temperatures. Some residents reported feeling cold, while others were provided with space heaters or additional blankets to mitigate the issue. The facility's administrator acknowledged the outdated heating system and the lack of replacement parts, indicating that a complete system replacement was necessary but would take time. Despite efforts to provide temporary heating solutions, the facility's inability to maintain consistent and adequate room temperatures posed a risk to residents' health and comfort. The facility's records and staff interviews confirmed that temperatures were being monitored, and efforts were made to provide warm blankets and beverages to residents. However, the failure to maintain the required temperature range placed residents at risk of hypothermia and other health issues. The facility's management was aware of the potential harm caused by the low temperatures and had implemented monitoring procedures, but the underlying issue of the malfunctioning heating system remained unresolved.
Removal Plan
- The Medical Director was notified by the Executive Director.
- The Extreme Cold Procedure was reviewed by Executive Director, DON, Maintenance Director and Medical Director. The Cold Alert Procedure was reviewed by ED, DON, Maintenance Director and Medical Director, temperature was changed to 65F. The temperature was changed from 60F to 65F.
- Executive Director, DON and Maintenance Director were reeducated on regulations re: resident room comfortable temperature range and a Comfortable Room Temperature Policy was written by the Life Safety Resource. The education was provided by the Life Safety Resource.
- Room Temperatures were audited by Department Heads to identify rooms needing space heaters. [name of company] repaired the condensing loop system. They provided a quote for an upgrade. [name of company] is a licensed professional HVAC company. [name of company] is the company under contract to complete the current repairs. The repair timeline is dependent on parts availability, it could be 3-4 weeks. The facility is planning on upgrading to PTAC units starting in Spring.
- Space heaters provided to all residents who agreed to have it. Space Heaters are monitored during room temperature checks or rounds by Nursing Staff/ Maintenance. Maintenance Director is responsible for the oversight of the space heaters.
- Commercial grade heaters have been located and are being placed on hallways to maintain temperatures per regulation. Upon completion of HVAC contractors, heaters will be removed. While heaters are in place, ongoing monitoring of temps and safety will be completed by walking rounds by Maintenance personnel or trained designee.
- Room temperatures will be audited every 2 hours by CNAs/ Maintenance. The Maintenance Director will be notified when temperatures are below 71. The Executive Director will be notified if room temperatures are below 65 and remain below 65 for one hour. Completion every 2 hours are until the temperatures are maintained >71, then, every shift during the inclement weather. If a room is less than 71F, Maintenance is to be notified; room temperature will be rechecked; nursing will offer the resident warm blankets and warm beverages; resident vital signs are being monitored at least twice per shift and the Charge Nurse will assess for change of condition as needed.
- All residents who prefer a cooler room temperature will be identified and their care plans updated. Residents are allowed to have cooler rooms within reason/based on their wishes/ resident rights. The Nursing staff will monitor the residents vital signs twice per shift and Charge Nurses will assess as indicated. Resident preference will be identified in the care profile.
- Residents will be offered warm blankets; warm beverages to prevent hypothermia. Nursing staff are monitoring resident during rounds and vital signs; Charge Nurses will assess as indicated.
- Windows were checked for air leaks by Maintenance Director.
- Portable AC Units were removed and windows sealed by Maintenance Director. (Unless resident declined the removal) The windows was closed which sealed itself, no other sealant was used. No resident was at a safety risk due to this action.
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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