Infection Control Deficiencies in Food Handling and Medication Administration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper infection control practices were followed by staff during food handling and medication administration. Specifically, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) was observed assisting two residents during dining by touching their bread and sandwiches with bare hands, contrary to facility policy and infection control standards. The Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that staff are not permitted to touch residents' food with bare hands when assisting with meals. Additionally, a Registered Nurse (RN) was observed failing to perform hand hygiene before and after administering medications to three residents. The RN donned gloves without prior hand hygiene, handled medications directly with bare hands after dropping them on the medication cart, and did not perform hand hygiene after glove removal. Both the RN and the DON acknowledged that these actions were inconsistent with facility policies, which require hand hygiene before and after glove use and prohibit direct contact with medications by hand.