Unsanitary Storage of Respiratory Equipment
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident's respiratory care equipment, including a CPAP machine, face mask, and tubing, was observed stored in an unsanitary manner on multiple occasions. The equipment was found uncovered and placed among personal care items, used and unused tubing, an open and undated sterile water container, and used paper towels/napkins on the resident's bedside table. Both the resident and a visitor expressed concerns about the cleanliness and handling of the equipment, noting that it was not properly cleaned or stored by staff. A nurse acknowledged during an observation that the equipment was not stored appropriately and that the face mask should not have been left in that condition. The resident involved had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic respiratory failure, obstructive sleep apnea, and was dependent on supplemental oxygen. Physician orders required the use of BiPAP and supplemental oxygen at specific times, but neither the physician orders nor the care plan specified methods or frequency for cleaning or storing the respiratory equipment. The facility's policy referenced cleaning and proper storage of respiratory equipment, but this was not followed in the resident's case, as evidenced by the observations and interviews.