Improper Storage of Personal Care Items in Shared Bathrooms
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to properly store resident personal care items in three of twelve shared bathrooms on the 200 Hall, as observed during multiple surveyor visits. Specifically, bed pans, bath basins, and urinals were found not bagged or labeled in bathrooms shared between rooms 216 and 218, 215 and 217, and 205 and 207. These observations were made on several occasions, indicating a pattern of non-compliance with the facility's policy on standard precautions, which requires that such items be handled in a manner that prevents contamination and cross-contamination. Interviews with a CNA, the ADON, and the DON confirmed that the expectation is for all urinals and bath basins to be cleaned, bagged, and labeled with the resident's name and room number. The DON acknowledged the presence of unbagged and unlabeled items in the shared bathrooms, confirming the failure to follow established infection prevention and control procedures as outlined in the facility's policy.