Failure to Maintain Isolation Carts with Required PPE for EBP Residents
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to maintain isolation carts with the required personal protective equipment (PPE) for residents on enhanced barrier precautions (EBP) across two of five units observed. During initial observations, EBP signs were posted on several room doors, but some rooms lacked an isolation cart entirely, while others had carts missing essential PPE such as gloves. In one instance, a resident's medication was found stored inside an isolation cart, which is not appropriate for PPE storage. These deficiencies were confirmed by an LPN during interviews, who acknowledged the missing PPE and the presence of medication in the cart. Follow-up observations revealed that isolation gowns were also missing from the carts outside certain rooms, and this issue persisted over multiple checks on the same day. The LPN again confirmed the absence of gowns when asked to review the cart. Both the administrator and the director of nursing were made aware of these observations at the time they occurred.