Failure to Maintain Safe and Comfortable Room Temperatures
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to maintain safe and comfortable temperatures in a resident's bedroom, as required by federal regulations. The air conditioning (A/C) system serving the resident's room was not functioning properly, resulting in room temperatures measured between 89.8 and 90.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Observations confirmed excessive warmth and palpable humidity in the room, with no noticeable cool air flow from the ceiling vent. The resident, who was nonverbal and dependent on staff for care, was found in a visibly uncomfortable state, with staff noting that the room had been warm for about a month. Multiple staff members, including LPNs, CNAs, and housekeeping, were aware of the elevated temperatures in the room and reported that the issue had persisted for several weeks. Despite this, there was no evidence that maintenance staff or facility leadership had taken timely action to monitor or address the temperature problem. The maintenance director and assistant were unaware of any recent complaints or issues with the A/C unit, and temperature checks in resident rooms were not routinely performed unless the A/C system was known to be out of order. Staff reported that maintenance requests were to be submitted electronically, but no such requests regarding the temperature issue were found in the facility's communication log. The resident affected by the deficiency had significant medical needs, including severe intellectual disabilities, respiratory failure, contractures, and muscle weakness, and was unable to communicate preferences or discomfort. The facility did not have a documented policy or procedure for routine temperature monitoring or for staff to communicate environmental concerns to maintenance. Facility leadership, including the DON and NHA, were not aware of the temperature issue in the resident's room and had not noticed elevated temperatures in the affected area. The lack of routine monitoring and communication resulted in the resident being exposed to unsafe and uncomfortable temperatures for an extended period.
Plan Of Correction
Resident #5 was immediately moved to another room on 06/23/2025 with no adverse effects noted. Room #202 was closed on 06/23/2025. On 06/23/2025, a portable air conditioner was placed in room 202. An outside HVAC contractor detected a refrigerant leak on 06/26/2025; a recommendation for roof top unit (RTU) #3 replacement was received. A replacement unit was ordered on 06/26/2025. On 06/30/2025, the outside HVAC contractor added refrigerant to RTU #3. The new unit was installed on 07/11/2025 by an outside HVAC contractor. On 06/25/2025, the Maintenance Director tested room and hallway temperatures with no concerns identified. On 06/26/2025, an outside HVAC contractor completed a system check for the remaining RTUs to determine functionality. The recommendation was for the replacement of RTU #5, which was received. The replacement unit was ordered on 06/26/2025. No other recommendations were received for the remaining units. The NHA re-educated the Maintenance Director on 06/25/2025 on comfortable and safe temperature levels. Facility staff were re-educated on comfortable and safe temperature levels and submitting electronic work orders by 07/14/2025. Any staff not receiving education by 07/14/2025 will receive education prior to their next scheduled shift. The Maintenance Director/designee will complete random audits of temperatures in hallways and resident rooms 5 times a week for 4 weeks, 3 times a week for 4 weeks, and 1 time a week for one month. Any concerns will be addressed at the time of audit. Audit results along with any concerns related to compliance will be presented to the QA Committee (Administrator, Director of Nursing, Medical Director, MDS Coordinator, Social Services Director, Admissions Director, Maintenance Supervisor, Dietary Director) monthly at the Quality Assurance Performance Improvement meeting for review and any needed recommendations for 3 months. If non-compliance is identified, audits will start back at the beginning of the cycle occurring 4 weeks, 3 times a week for 4 weeks, and 1 time a week for one month.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Unclean Bed Linens
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide housekeeping services necessary to maintain clean bed linens for one resident. Facility policy stated bed linens are to be changed at least weekly and whenever clinically indicated or requested by the resident. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including hypothyroidism and chronic diastolic heart failure, and the care plan included an intervention to keep bed linen clean due to impaired skin. During observations, the resident’s pillowcase had several dry areas of a dark brown/red substance and the bed sheets had a gray hue and appeared unclean. The resident stated he/she could not remember the last time the sheets were changed. The DON later confirmed that the pillowcase had dark brown/red areas, the sheets appeared unclean, and the bed linens should have been changed.
Dirty Resident Room and Respiratory Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a homelike environment for Resident 6, who was admitted in 2022 with diagnoses including dysphagia and whose annual MDS dated 10/25/25 showed a feeding tube for nutrition and a tracheostomy in place. During observation, the resident’s room contained a small black fan that was very dirty and dusty and appeared not to have been cleaned for a long time. The resident’s room was later observed with a mattress on the floor near the bed that appeared dirty with dried clear debris, an oxygen concentrator with dried clear debris and dust on it, a tracheostomy machine with dried white debris all over it, the black fan covered in dust, and a dirty towel on the resident’s bed. A family member stated the area next to the resident’s bed was dirty and often had liquid on it from the tube feeding and appeared gross. An LPN Resident Care Manager observed the room and agreed it was dirty and needed to be cleaned daily.
Missing Baseboards on Second-Floor Hallway and Resident Room
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a clean, safe, comfortable, and homelike environment on the second floor. During a tour with Maintenance Employee E9, Resident R171’s room was observed to have a missing part of a baseboard under the window, and the left side of the hallway had baseboards missing periodically down the hall. The right side of the hallway also had baseboards missing periodically down the hall. During an interview, Maintenance Employee E15 stated that the machine must be hitting the baseboards and that they had been taken off.
Damaged Resident Room Wall Left in Disrepair
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide maintenance services to keep a resident bedroom in good repair. In room [ROOM NUMBER], the wall near the window was observed to be damaged and in disrepair, with a crack large enough that the end of an ink pen could be inserted through the wall. The observation was made during a surveyor visit, and photographic evidence was obtained. When the wall was re-observed with the Maintenance Director, he stated he was aware of the damage and said the resident in the room had reported it about 2 weeks earlier. He stated he believed the damage was caused by the air conditioning leaking. The damaged area covered about 6 square feet and extended about 12 inches up the wall. The Administrator later stated she was not aware of the damage and said the facility had room rounds but did not have a specific audit to inspect walls and structural integrity. The facility policy stated that environmental repairs and upkeep would be addressed and corrected in a timely manner, with resident safety taking priority over cosmetic repairs.
Unsafe and Deteriorated Resident Room Conditions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable environment when multiple resident rooms and resident-use areas were observed in damaged, deteriorated, unsecured, or unsanitary condition in 8 of 64 rooms observed. During observations, surveyors found a broken and hanging drawer front on a built-in wall cabinet, scuffed walls with chipped and scraped paint, rusted air return vent grilles, unsecured trim adjacent to a grille, rust on a bedframe, a broken bathroom floor tile, missing wall trim/chair rail leaving unfinished wall areas, a gallon of Clorox in a bathroom, and a metal air conditioning shelf with visible rust. One room also had a dresser that was scratched and heavily exposed the wood underneath the paint. Additional observations showed more rooms with scuffed walls, chipped and scraped paint, missing wall trim/chair rail, exposed torn sheetrock, and chipped and scraped paint beneath a window. During an interview and walkthrough, the Maintenance Director acknowledged the identified environmental conditions requiring repair or correction. Photographic evidence was obtained of all the issues observed.
Cleanliness, Safety, and Equipment Sanitation Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure residents were provided with a clean, safe, and homelike environment. Surveyors observed multiple areas of disrepair and cleanliness concerns throughout the building, including shower room flooring with dark residue and chipped, open penetrations, hallway vents and ceiling areas with black, gray, and cobweb-like substances, wall gouges, and dining room ceiling vents and lights with dry splattering and rust-colored residue. The facility’s maintenance manager and maintenance director stated they were aware of some of the shower room and panel issues and knew repairs were needed. Surveyors also observed unsafe conditions in resident areas and common spaces. Plastic door panels outside two rooms had protruding edges, the south hall shower room had two large holes where tile was missing and a smaller crack, and staff acknowledged the flooring needed correction. In resident rooms, surveyors observed cracked light covers containing bugs, gouges in walls and railings, a missing bathroom door, a thick black substance at a room entrance threshold, and uncovered soiled items such as an isolation bin with soiled linen and a bedpan on the floor under the sink. Equipment cleanliness concerns were also identified. Two residents’ wheelchairs had dried substances on the cushions and wheels, with hair accumulated in the wheel mechanisms, and a CNA stated night shift should have cleaned the wheelchairs. In another room, surveyors observed mattresses with dried brown and white substances, a mattress leaning against the wall with dried white substance, dried substances on the floor and bed sheets, and a bedside table with dried brown substance. Facility logs reviewed did not document cleaning of hallway vents, mats, or mattresses at the bedside, and the Housekeeping Supervisor stated vents should have been cleaned and that nurse aides were responsible for cleaning body fluids from mattresses and mats before housekeeping cleaned them.
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