Soiled Air Conditioning Vents in Resident Room
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident's room was found to have an air conditioning vent in the ceiling that was visibly soiled with a black substance and rust, and the return vent was covered with dust. This was observed during a facility survey, and both the Director of Nursing (DON) and the District Manager for environment confirmed the presence of dust, rust, and dirt on the vent. The facility's deep clean schedule indicated that the room was scheduled for cleaning, but at the time of observation, the vents remained unclean. The resident involved was an elderly male with a history of Alzheimer's disease, heart failure, muscle weakness, muscle wasting and atrophy, and dementia. His quarterly MDS assessment indicated a BIMS score of 00, showing he was unable to complete the interview. The resident's care plan noted a risk for infection due to his compromised medical condition. The facility's policy required the environment to be maintained to protect the health and safety of residents, personnel, and the public, but the observed condition of the air conditioning vents did not meet these standards.