Unsupervised Access to Disposable Razors in Memory Care Unit
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with severe cognitive impairment, dementia, poor safety awareness, and a history of physical aggression was found to have two disposable razors in his room. The resident required supervision with personal hygiene tasks, including shaving, and resided in a secure memory care unit due to impaired decision-making abilities. Observations on two consecutive days confirmed the presence of disposable razors on the resident's sink, and the resident reported shaving himself without staff assistance. Interviews with CNAs, an LVN, and the interim DON revealed that disposable razors were not permitted in resident rooms within the memory care unit due to safety concerns, as residents could harm themselves or others. Staff stated that razors should be kept in hygiene bags in the shower room and disposed of in a sharps container after use. Facility documentation also indicated that contaminated sharps, including razors, were to be handled only by designated staff and immediately discarded in designated containers. Despite these protocols, the resident had unsupervised access to razors in his room.