Failure to Maintain Safe and Functional Resident Environment
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to provide a safe, functional, and comfortable environment for a resident who reported multiple unresolved maintenance issues in his room. The resident expressed concerns about a non-functioning air conditioning unit, which had not been operational for several weeks despite rising temperatures and his pre-existing breathing issues. He also reported that the closet doors were broken, making the drawers inaccessible, and that a ceiling tile was out of place and appeared as if it could fall. The resident stated he had reported these issues to staff multiple times, but no corrective action had been taken. Direct observation by the surveyor confirmed the air conditioning unit was not working, the closet doors posed a safety hazard, and the ceiling tile was not properly secured. A review of facility maintenance work orders revealed that requests for repairs to the air conditioning unit and closet doors had been entered but remained open and unresolved for an extended period. Interviews with the maintenance director and staff indicated a lack of an effective system for tracking and addressing maintenance requests, with reliance on verbal reports and handwritten notes rather than the facility's electronic system. The maintenance director acknowledged that the electronic system was not being monitored and that many issues were prioritized informally, leading to delays in addressing non-urgent repairs. These actions and inactions resulted in the resident continuing to live in an environment that was not safe, functional, or comfortable.