Medication and Treatment Carts Left Unlocked and Unattended
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that three of five medication and treatment carts in the facility were repeatedly left unlocked and unattended in various locations, including by the nurses station and in the front living room area. These observations occurred on multiple occasions over several days, with specific carts such as the North hall treatment cart, the [NAME] hall treatment cart, and the overflow treatment cart being found unsecured. Facility staff, including LPNs, acknowledged that the carts should have been locked when not in use but admitted to forgetting to do so. The Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that staff were expected to keep the carts locked when unattended and recognized that surveyors had observed the carts unlocked and unattended multiple times. The facility's policy, dated 07/21/24, required that all compartments containing drugs and biologicals, including carts, be locked when not in use and not left unattended if open or accessible. Despite this policy, staff failed to consistently secure the carts, as evidenced by direct observations and staff interviews. No specific residents were identified as being directly affected in the report, and there was no mention of any adverse outcomes related to the unsecured carts.