Failure to Maintain Effective Pest Control Program
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain an effective pest control program, resulting in the presence of live gnats in one of six hallways (Hall 200) and in a resident's room. Observations on the specified date revealed approximately 12 gnats in Hall 200 and about 10 gnats flying in the resident's room. The resident, a cognitively intact female with multiple diagnoses including Bipolar disorder, acute respiratory failure, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive communication deficit, reported that the issue with gnats had been ongoing and that pest control had never treated her room. No food was observed in the resident's room at the time of inspection. Interviews with facility staff indicated that pest control services were provided bi-weekly or weekly, depending on the situation, and that the most recent treatment occurred the previous week. However, the pest control service reports showed that while the facility was treated for gnats in some areas on one occasion, the resident's room was not specifically treated, and a previous treatment did not include gnats. The facility's pest control policy requires an effective program to prevent or eliminate infestations, but the ongoing presence of gnats in multiple areas, including a resident's room, demonstrated a failure to fully implement this policy.