Failure to Maintain Clean, Homelike Environment and Return Personal Items
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a clean, safe, and homelike environment in several resident rooms, as evidenced by multiple observations of disrepair and unsanitary conditions. In three resident rooms, surveyors observed broken furniture such as dressers and armoires, peeling paint with exposed plaster and sheet rock, cracked and soiled walls, and heavily soiled bathroom floors and toilets. Additionally, portable oxygen tanks were found to be heavily soiled with rust and brown substances, and there were swarms of flying insects present in some rooms. Overflowing trash cans, scattered garbage, and sticky substances on bedside tables were also noted, contributing to an overall unpleasant and offensive smell in the affected areas. Maintenance and housekeeping staff acknowledged these issues, and it was confirmed that necessary repairs and cleaning had not been documented or addressed as required by facility policy. The facility also failed to ensure that residents' personal clothing items, specifically socks, were returned after laundering. Multiple residents reported missing socks, stating that they had informed both housekeeping and nursing staff on several occasions, but the items had not been returned for over a month. During a resident council meeting, all attending residents confirmed the ongoing issue of missing socks. The housekeeping staff responsible for laundry admitted to being too busy to pair or deliver socks for over a month, and the Housekeeping Director confirmed receiving several complaints from residents about missing items. Surveyors observed five large plastic bags full of residents' socks in the laundry room, which both the Housekeeping Director and staff acknowledged as unacceptable. A review of facility policies revealed requirements for laundry to be returned within 24-72 hours and for the environment to be maintained in a safe, clean, and homelike manner. Despite these policies, the facility did not meet the standards for cleanliness, maintenance, or the timely return of residents' personal belongings, as evidenced by the observations and interviews conducted during the survey.