F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
F

Widespread Environmental Deficiencies in Resident Rooms and Common Areas

Saint Albans Healthcare And Rehabilitation CenterSaint Albans, Vermont Survey Completed on 01-28-2025

Summary

The facility failed to provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment for residents, as evidenced by widespread deficiencies in room maintenance and repair across all resident units. Surveyors observed numerous issues during facility tours, including bare plaster spots, cracks, peeling paint, warped countertops, missing or broken fixtures such as toilet paper holders, exposed electrical outlets, rusted and bent radiators, and unpainted or damaged walls and ceilings. These deficiencies were present in both resident rooms and common areas, with specific examples including holes in walls, loose or missing handrails, broken or missing light fixtures, and damaged furniture. The issues were confirmed by both the Maintenance Director and the Administrator during interviews and walkthroughs. The facility's internal processes for identifying and addressing maintenance concerns were found to be inadequate. Although the Administrator had completed a facility-wide audit identifying areas in need of repair in all 48 resident rooms, there was no documented plan of action or timeline to address these issues. The Maintenance Department's work order system did not include many of the observed deficiencies, and there was no process to assign or track repairs unless a work order was submitted. Quarterly physical plant inspections were conducted using a checklist, but these inspections lacked detail and failed to identify the specific problems observed by surveyors. The Maintenance Director acknowledged that if issues were not entered into the work order system, they would not be addressed. Common areas also exhibited significant deficiencies, such as stained or broken ceiling tiles, holes in plaster, exposed wires, bent or missing radiator fins, and damaged or illegible resident name plates and room numbers. The Regional Environmental Director confirmed during a walkthrough that the issues identified should have been detected and addressed through the facility's inspection processes. The lack of detailed inspections and failure to document and track maintenance needs contributed to the ongoing and repeat nature of these deficiencies, which had also been cited in previous surveys.

Penalty

Inspection fine: $33,670
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0584 citations
Unclean Bed Linens
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

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.

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Dirty Resident Room and Respiratory Equipment
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

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.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Missing Baseboards on Second-Floor Hallway and Resident Room
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

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.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Damaged Resident Room Wall Left in Disrepair
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

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.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Unsafe and Deteriorated Resident Room Conditions
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

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.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Cleanliness, Safety, and Equipment Sanitation Deficiencies
E
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

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.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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