Failure to Maintain Infection Control Practices with Bedpan Reuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain proper infection control practices by reusing bedpans among residents and not ensuring that each resident had a personal, labeled, and sanitized bedpan. Observations revealed that a bedpan with yellow residue was found in a shared restroom used by two residents, and it was not labeled. Another resident's bedpan was found on a tray table, also without a label. Staff interviews confirmed confusion regarding the storage and assignment of bedpans, with some staff stating that bedpans were kept in the medication room, while others indicated they should be stored in residents' drawers and labeled with their names. However, no bedpans were found in the medication room during observation, and central supply staff confirmed that no requests for additional bedpans had been made by nursing staff. Residents reported that bedpans were being reused between roommates, which they described as unsanitary. Facility policy required that reusable resident care equipment be maintained and decontaminated according to manufacturer instructions and assigned to individual residents to prevent cross-contamination. Despite this, the facility did not ensure compliance with its own policy, resulting in shared and unsanitary bedpans being used by multiple residents.