Failure to Maintain Clean, Sanitary, and Homelike Environment
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to provide a clean, sanitary, and homelike environment for residents, as evidenced by multiple observations and interviews. Two residents' rooms were found to be inadequately cleaned, with heavy dirt build-up, sticky floors, overflowing trash cans, and soiled items left out. One resident, who was paralyzed from the waist down, reported that housekeeping had not cleaned the floor in a long time and that aides were no longer assisting with room cleanliness or organization. Another resident's room had a sticky floor, trash, a broken broom head, and dried food debris that remained unaddressed despite claims that the room had been recently cleaned. Staff interviews confirmed that the rooms were not up to standard, and the Housekeeping Supervisor was unaware of how long some items had been left on the floor. The facility also failed to follow proper procedures for handling soiled linen and towels. Observations revealed soiled bed pads and towels with stains resembling mildew left on the floor, and wet towels and wash rags left in shower rooms. Staff interviews confirmed that soiled linen should never be placed on the floor and should be bagged and taken to the soiled utility room, but this was not consistently done. The Housekeeping Supervisor was observed picking up wet towels with ungloved hands, and there was confusion among staff regarding responsibilities for removing soiled linen from shower rooms. Shower rooms on two halls were not thoroughly cleaned after resident use, with feces observed on the floor, wet towels left out, and visible hair, black soot, and debris in and around the showers. Residents expressed reluctance to use the showers due to their unclean state. The Housekeeping Supervisor admitted there was no checklist or schedule for daily or deep cleaning tasks, and cleaning assignments were inconsistent. The Administrator was unaware of the lack of cleaning schedules and the extent of uncleanliness in resident rooms and shower areas.