Failure to Maintain Wheelchairs in Good Repair for Two Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment for two residents who required wheelchairs for mobility and moderate assistance with transfers. Observations conducted on multiple occasions revealed that both residents were using wheelchairs with cracked and torn armrest padding. These deficiencies were confirmed during joint observations with the Director of Nursing. The affected residents had medical histories including chronic heart failure, osteoarthritis, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, asthma, and cardiac arrhythmia, and both were documented as requiring wheelchairs for mobility in their most recent quarterly MDS assessments. The failure to ensure that the wheelchairs were maintained in good repair directly impacted the residents' environment and comfort, as evidenced by the physical condition of the wheelchair armrests observed and confirmed by facility staff.