Failure to Maintain Functional and Sanitary Laundry Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that equipment was in proper working order and to maintain a sanitary environment in the 5th floor laundry room. Two residents, both cognitively intact and independent with activities of daily living, reported that one of the two washing machines had been intermittently broken for several months, with the most recent outage lasting over two weeks. Multiple staff interviews confirmed ongoing issues with the washing machine, including repeated breakdowns, delays in repairs, and a lack of awareness about the presence of standing water inside the machine. Staff described a process for reporting repairs through TELS tickets, but there was evidence of communication breakdowns between residents, staff, and maintenance, as well as incomplete documentation of repair requests. Observations over several days revealed that the broken washing machine contained dark grey standing water with floating debris and a film layer, and at times lacked an "OUT OF ORDER" sign. Housekeeping and maintenance staff confirmed the unsanitary condition and the extended period the machine had been out of service. Maintenance staff were at times unaware of the duration of the breakdown or the presence of standing water. Record review showed only one documented TELS report for the issue, despite staff claims of multiple reports, and a complete TELS report was not provided upon request.