Mechanical Lift Equipment Not Maintained in Safe Working Order
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that mechanical lift equipment was maintained in safe and operable condition for five residents who required mechanical lifts for transfers. Multiple CNAs reported that batteries for the mechanical lifts frequently failed to hold a charge, resulting in situations where residents were left suspended in the air or unable to be safely lowered during transfers. In one instance, a CNA described attempting to lower a resident onto the toilet when the lift battery died, and after trying several replacement batteries that also failed, the emergency release mechanism did not function. The CNA ultimately had to manually lower the resident using a gait belt and her own knees for support. The same lift was later observed to have a broken emergency release ring that was not attached to the shaft, rendering it ineffective. Other staff members confirmed ongoing issues with lift batteries, malfunctioning emergency releases, and damaged wheels on some lifts. Residents who regularly used the sit-to-stand machines also reported repeated incidents where lifts lost power while they were suspended. The facility's maintenance policy assigns responsibility for equipment upkeep to the maintenance department, but interviews revealed uncertainty about whether safety checks had been performed and that staff continued to use lifts with known safety issues.