Failure to Clean and Sanitize Ceiling Vent Covers in Common Areas
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that ceiling ventilation covers in multiple common areas were cleaned and sanitized, as required by their Routine Cleaning and Disinfection policy. Observations on two consecutive days revealed that flat ceiling vents in the entrance foyer, conference room, above the nurse's station, at the entrance to the dining room, and at the ends of two halls all had a brown fuzzy substance on them. These findings were confirmed during walkthroughs with the Regional Maintenance Director, Regional Director of Operations, and the Administrator. Interviews with facility leadership revealed confusion regarding responsibility for cleaning the vents. The Regional Maintenance Director stated that maintenance was not assigned to clean the vents, considering it a housekeeping concern, and noted that the contracted cleaning company had not addressed the issue despite being notified. The Administrator, however, confirmed that maintenance was responsible for vent cleaning and acknowledged the vents should have been clean. There was no work order in the system for maintenance to complete this task at the time of the observations. The deficiency had the potential to affect all 46 residents in the facility.