Unsupervised Children Cause Excessive Noise and Disruption
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a comfortable and homelike environment by allowing unsupervised children to be present in resident areas, resulting in excessive noise and disruption. Observations included children playing loudly in the billiard room, slamming billiard balls, and wearing staff communication headsets. Children were also seen accessing resident snacks from the snack cart and entering elevators and hallways without supervision. Multiple residents reported that children entered their rooms without permission, played on therapy equipment, and created disturbances in common areas. One resident described a child lying on their bed without consent, and another expressed discomfort with having to supervise children who were not their responsibility. Staff confirmed that the children, who were brought to the facility by employees, were often unsupervised and did not remain in designated areas. The administrator acknowledged that children were informed of expected behavior but maintained that their presence was therapeutic for residents. Despite this, both residents and staff reported that the children’s activities led to excessive noise and a lack of supervision, negatively impacting the environment and comfort of the residents.