Failure to Maintain Comfortable Environmental Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a comfortable environment for residents, as evidenced by elevated temperatures in multiple resident rooms. Four out of six residents interviewed reported their rooms were too warm, with some stating that only common areas such as the dining room or lobby were comfortable. Temperature readings taken in these residents' rooms showed values ranging from 81.8°F to 82.2°F, exceeding the facility's stated comfort range of 71-80°F. One resident reported being provided with a fan that was insufficient, while another stated no fan was provided. Environmental temperature logs revealed that temperatures in resident halls and dining areas were consistently above 80°F on several days, with some readings as high as 85.5°F. However, there was a lack of consistent temperature monitoring in individual resident rooms, and hourly temperature logs were not maintained during periods of elevated temperatures as required by facility policy. The facility's Hot Weather / Heat Emergencies policy requires the administrator to be aware of extreme weather forecasts and for the Maintenance Director to monitor and ensure air conditioning is functioning and temperatures remain within the comfortable range. Despite this, the administrator stated she was not following a hot weather bulletin or receiving alerts, and the Maintenance Director indicated this was the first time temperatures were reported above 80°F. The documentation shows that temperature monitoring was not consistently performed in resident rooms, and the required increased frequency of monitoring during high temperatures was not followed. These actions and inactions resulted in residents experiencing uncomfortably high temperatures in their living spaces.