Failure to Ensure Proper Hand Hygiene During Resident Care
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to perform appropriate hand hygiene when providing care and assistance to four of six sampled residents. Specifically, a CNA prepared and assisted with lunch trays and feeding for two residents without washing hands or using alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR). Additionally, an LVN patted the backs of two residents without performing hand hygiene before or after the interaction, and another LVN handled a resident's wheelchair and assisted another resident out of the dining area without handwashing or using ABHR. These actions were observed during routine care and resident interactions in the dining room. Interviews with the involved staff confirmed their awareness of the facility's hand hygiene policy, which requires handwashing or use of ABHR before and after resident contact. The Director of Nursing also confirmed that the expectation is for staff to sanitize hands between resident contacts and that ABHR is available throughout the facility. A review of the facility's policy indicated that hand hygiene is required before and after assisting residents with dining and when moving between residents, regardless of glove use.