Resident Rooms Below Minimum Square Footage Requirement
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that two resident rooms met the required minimum of 80 square feet per resident for multiple occupancy rooms. Observations during the initial tour revealed that both rooms were occupied by three residents each, with a total room size of 214 square feet, resulting in only 71.33 square feet per resident. The rooms were divided by curtains, and each resident had access to bedside stands and storage space. Interviews with residents and CNAs indicated that, despite the limited space, they did not report issues with sharing the room or performing care tasks such as using a Hoyer lift or moving a Geri-chair. A review of facility-submitted documents showed that the administrator had requested a waiver for variance in room size, acknowledging the shortfall in square footage per resident. The documentation confirmed the measurements of the affected rooms and described the arrangements for privacy and storage, but did not meet the regulatory requirement for space per resident.