Failure to Clean High-Touch Surfaces in Resident Room
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the doorknob and door of a resident room, occupied by three residents, were cleaned daily as required by facility policy. Observations on two separate occasions revealed visible brown specks and smudges on the doorknob and surrounding door area, which remained uncleaned over several days. The infection preventionist confirmed that these areas were dirty and acknowledged that the doorknob is considered a high-touch surface that should be cleaned daily to prevent the spread of infection. The three residents involved had various medical conditions, including metabolic encephalopathy, chronic kidney disease, bipolar disorder, pneumonia, dementia, anxiety disorder, hypertensive heart disease with heart failure, and paranoid schizophrenia. Their levels of cognitive and physical functioning varied, with some requiring supervision or assistance for activities of daily living. Review of facility records and policies indicated that environmental surfaces are to be cleaned regularly and when visibly soiled, but this was not followed for the doorknob and door in question.