Failure to Maintain Safe and Homelike Resident Environment Due to Exposed Electrical Wire
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident with impaired cognition, muscle weakness, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease was found to have a black wire hanging from the ceiling over her bed, with the connector exposed and within close proximity to her while she was lying down. The resident reported that the wire had been present since she moved into the room several weeks prior, and that it sometimes touched her while she was in bed. Observations on two separate days confirmed the presence of the exposed wire in the resident's environment. Interviews with facility staff revealed that the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) was aware of the wire but did not report it to the nurse or log it in the maintenance system, as required by facility protocol. The Maintenance Supervisor confirmed responsibility for environmental repairs but stated he only addressed issues listed in the maintenance log and did not conduct regular rounds in resident rooms. Both the CNA and Maintenance Supervisor acknowledged that the exposed wire created an environment that was not homelike and should not have been present near the resident.