Failure to Maintain Effective Pest Control Program
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain an effective pest control program, resulting in the presence of pests such as roaches, flies, and ants in resident rooms. Direct observations included a live roach in one resident's room, a fly and both live and dead roaches behind an oxygen concentrator, and multiple ants on the wall and under a light fixture. Residents reported ongoing pest sightings to staff, and staff confirmed they had observed pests and documented these sightings in pest sighting binders at the nurse's stations. A review of the facility's pest sighting logs for multiple halls revealed numerous documented roach sightings in resident rooms over several months, including repeated sightings in a specific room. Despite a service agreement with a pest control company for monthly prevention and special treatments, there was no documented evidence that rooms identified in the pest sighting logs were specifically treated. Monthly invoices and pest prevention service reports often lacked details about targeted treatments or identified areas of concern, even when pest activity was reported by residents and staff. The facility's policy required the use of various methods to control pests, but the documentation reviewed did not demonstrate that these measures were effectively implemented in response to reported pest activity. The ongoing presence of pests in resident rooms, as observed and reported by both residents and staff, indicated a failure to ensure the facility was free of pests as required by the facility's own policy and procedures.