Failure to Remove Hazardous Cleaner from Resident Room
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident's environment was not kept free from accident hazards, as evidenced by a blue bottle of meyer's cleaner being left on the bedside table in the resident's room. The resident, a male with diagnoses including heart failure, diabetes, glaucoma, kidney failure, anxiety, and high blood pressure, had moderate cognitive impairment and required total assistance with most activities of daily living. Observations on two separate days confirmed the presence of the cleaner in the room. Staff interviews revealed that the cleaner had been brought in by a family member, and both the RN and DON acknowledged that such items should not be present in resident rooms due to the risk of ingestion by the resident or others. Further review showed that the facility did not have a policy addressing hazardous items or the storage of cleaners in resident areas. The administrator confirmed that staff were expected to ensure hazardous items were not left in resident rooms, but acknowledged that there was no formal policy in place. The lack of staff action to remove the cleaner and the absence of a relevant policy contributed to the deficiency, placing residents at risk for injury.