Insufficient Clean Linen Supply for Resident Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a sufficient supply of clean linen was readily available for resident care in three of four linen closets observed across both floors. Multiple alert and oriented residents, including members of the Resident Council, reported that the facility was often low on linens such as towels and washcloths, resulting in delays for showers and personal care. Some residents resorted to stockpiling linens in their rooms to avoid running out. Observations confirmed that linen carts in several units contained only a small number of towels and washcloths, insufficient for the needs of the residents. Interviews with CNAs and an LPN corroborated the shortage, stating that they sometimes had to wait for laundry to deliver more linens, causing delays in resident care, particularly in the mornings and on weekends. The Laundry Manager was unaware of any ongoing issues and stated that linen was distributed twice daily based on census calculations. The DON confirmed there was no policy for maintaining sufficient laundry for resident use, and the Administrator noted that linens are counted daily and more can be ordered if needed, but acknowledged losses due to linens being thrown away or lost.