Infection Control Failures in Utility Rooms, Medication Handling, and Kitchen Ventilation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement and maintain proper infection prevention and control practices in several key areas. In three utility rooms, clean supplies such as gloves, N95 masks, blood pressure apparatus, wound care supplies, and residents' personal items were stored in close proximity to hoppers used for disposal of blood or body fluids, without any clear separation between clean and dirty areas. The Infection Preventionist confirmed that this arrangement could lead to contamination of clean supplies, which could then be used for resident care. During medication administration, a nurse was observed bringing a bucket containing clean supplies for insulin administration and blood glucose testing into a resident's room. After use, the bucket was returned to the medication cart without any cleaning or sanitizing, despite being used in multiple resident rooms. Both nursing staff and the Director of Nursing acknowledged that this practice could result in contamination of supplies shared among residents. Additionally, the medication cart was found to have brownish residues and sticky spills in the pre-pour medication bins, and a pill cutter stored in the cart had white powder-like residue inside the lid, both of which were not cleaned after use. In the kitchen, three ceiling vent covers above food preparation areas were observed to have rust, flaking, peeling, and missing paint, with visible dust and debris. The Plant Maintenance Supervisor and Dietary Supervisor confirmed these conditions and acknowledged that the vents were not maintained in a manner that would prevent contamination of food. The facility's own policies and federal guidelines require that such areas be kept clean and in good repair to prevent the risk of contamination.