Failure to Follow Contact Precautions for Resident with C. diff Infection
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain proper infection control practices for a resident who was on contact precautions due to a C. diff infection. According to the facility's policy, staff are required to wear a gown and gloves for all interactions that may involve contact with the resident or potentially contaminated areas in the resident's environment, and to don personal protective equipment (PPE) upon room entry. During an observation, an Activity Assistant was seen inside the resident's room without wearing the required gown and gloves. When questioned, the Activity Assistant admitted to forgetting to check the signage at the door before entering. Additionally, the signage posted at the resident's door was not updated to reflect the current contact precautions required for C. diff infection. The Infection Preventionist (IP) confirmed that the signage should have indicated contact precautions and acknowledged the oversight. The resident had a physician's order for contact isolation due to C. diff, and the facility's policy specified the necessary infection control measures, which were not followed during the observed incident.