Improper Storage of Respiratory Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that respiratory equipment, specifically BIPAP masks and nasal cannulas, were stored in a sanitary manner for two residents. One resident was observed lying in bed with a nasal cannula in use, while her BIPAP mask was placed directly on the bedside table and an oxygen nasal cannula was left in the seat of her wheelchair. Another resident's oxygen nasal cannula was found wrapped around the handle of an oxygen canister in the room. These storage practices did not meet sanitary standards. Interviews with facility staff, including a CNA, a licensed nurse, and an administrative nurse, confirmed that the expected protocol was to store BIPAP masks and nasal cannulas in a dated and labeled plastic bag when not in use. The facility's own infection prevention and control program required maintaining a safe and sanitary environment to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases, as per national standards and guidelines. The observed practices were inconsistent with these established protocols.