Failure to Prevent Accident Hazards Related to Razor Storage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the resident environment was free from accident hazards for two residents who were reviewed for accidents and hazards. One resident, who had an intact cognitive status and required supervision or assistance with personal hygiene, including shaving, was observed to have an electric razor and shaving gel on his bedside table over multiple days. Staff interviews revealed there was no specific policy or assessment in place regarding the storage of such items at the bedside, and staff believed it was the resident's right to keep them for personal hygiene. The Director of Nursing (DON) and Administrator confirmed there was no assessment process for determining if a resident could safely keep razors or shaving gel at bedside, and stated there were no residents who wandered into other rooms. Another resident, also with intact cognition and some independence in activities of daily living, was observed to have multiple disposable razors on his bathroom sink over several days. Staff interviews indicated uncertainty about whether the resident was care planned to have razors in his room, and some staff expressed concerns about safety for both the resident and others who might enter the room. The DON stated the resident was care planned for razors and was safe to have them, but review of the care plan only indicated staff should shave the resident if requested, with no mention of unattended razors in the room. The Administrator stated razors should not be in resident rooms for safety reasons and that it was the responsibility of all staff to ensure this. The facility's policy on shaving and razors was reviewed and found to be undated, only stating that all articles should be stored in the appropriate place, without further guidance. Observations and interviews confirmed that razors and shaving gel were left accessible in resident rooms without documented assessment or care plan interventions addressing the safety of this practice.