Unsecured Hazardous Sprays and Medications in Resident Rooms
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to secure aerosol disinfectant sprays and medications in resident rooms, resulting in potential accident hazards. Specifically, a resident on the secured memory care unit had a large can of disinfectant spray stored openly on a closet shelf, with a caution label indicating it should be locked and warning of hazards if absorbed or inhaled. Another resident with a roommate had a can of Febreze spray left on top of a dresser, also with cautionary instructions. Additionally, a third resident had a bottle of selenium sulfide lotion without a cap on a dresser, and an opened bottle of Pepto Bismol was found at the bedside of a resident who was hospitalized. In both cases, there was no documentation in the clinical record for physician orders allowing medications to be kept at bedside. Facility policies required that all cleaning chemicals be kept in locked storage when not in use and that medications, including treatment items, be stored in locked cabinets or rooms inaccessible to residents and visitors. The policies also specified that medications should not be provided without a physician's order and that bedside medications must be stored in a locked compartment within the resident's room. The observed practices were inconsistent with these policies, as hazardous sprays and medications were left unsecured and accessible in resident rooms.