Residents Left Unattended During Deep Cleaning with Hazards Present
Penalty
Summary
Housekeeping staff failed to ensure a safe environment for two cognitively impaired residents who were at risk for falls by leaving them in their room during a deep cleaning process. The floor was wet, and a bottle of Clorox spray, a powerful bleach-based cleaner, was left unattended on a bedside table. Both residents had documented diagnoses of dementia, abnormalities of gait and mobility, and lack of coordination, and required varying levels of assistance with activities of daily living. Their care plans identified them as being at risk for falls due to confusion and poor safety awareness, with interventions to anticipate and meet their needs. During the deep cleaning, the housekeeping staff left the room to attend to another task, leaving the residents exposed to wet floors and cleaning chemicals. The registered nurse, housekeeping staff, housekeeping supervisor, and director of nursing all confirmed that residents should not have been present during deep cleaning and that cleaning supplies should not have been left unattended. Facility policies required staff to be considerate of residents and to keep cleaning equipment out of residents' way, as well as to ensure a safe and sanitary environment.