Infection Control Deficiencies in Equipment and Environmental Sanitation
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple infection control deficiencies throughout the facility, including trash, gloves, and trash bags left on handrails and floors in various halls, as well as linens, dishes, and other items placed on radiators and registers. Additionally, two residents' nasal cannula oxygen tubing was found wrapped around stationary canisters in their rooms and not stored in a sanitary manner. Another resident's CPAP mask and tubing were observed lying on the floor between the bed and the wall, rather than being stored in a clean bag as required by facility policy. These observations were corroborated by staff interviews, which confirmed that respiratory equipment should be stored in dated bags and that trash should not be left on surfaces or the floor. Further, shared equipment such as the Hoyer lift was not sanitized between resident uses, as evidenced by a Certified Medication Aide moving the lift from one resident's room to another without cleaning it. Staff interviews indicated awareness of the proper procedures for storing respiratory equipment and sanitizing shared devices, as well as the availability of cleaning supplies. The facility's infection prevention and control policy requires maintaining a safe and sanitary environment to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases, but these practices were not consistently followed, resulting in the cited deficiencies.