Failure to Timely Repair Essential Air Conditioning Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure timely repair of essential equipment, specifically two rooftop air-conditioning (A/C) units out of a total of nineteen. The Maintenance Director reported that A/C unit #5, located over the dining room, had been out of order since January and that if the dining room temperature exceeded 81 degrees, residents were moved back to their rooms. Additionally, A/C unit #19, located over the North Wing nurse's station, began having issues at the end of July and went out of service by early August. The Maintenance Director also mentioned that A/C unit #1, over the therapy gym, had been out of service since October, with a portable A/C unit placed in the therapy room as a temporary measure. The Maintenance Director indicated that obtaining repairs was difficult due to outstanding payments owed to A/C companies, and while quotes for repairs were available for units #1 and #19, no quote or evidence of repair was provided for unit #5. During the survey, documentation was provided for proposals to replace A/C units #1 and #19, but not for unit #5. An LPN confirmed that the dining room would become warm, prompting residents to return to their rooms. The lack of timely repair and absence of evidence for addressing the malfunctioning A/C unit in the dining room contributed to the deficiency cited by surveyors.