Deficient Infection Control in Laundry, Hand Hygiene, and Medication Storage
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple deficiencies related to infection prevention and control within the facility. Observations revealed that residents' wet laundry was left sitting in washing machines for extended periods, with no tracking system in place to monitor when loads were started or moved to the dryer. Clean and dirty laundry were not consistently separated, as clothes were found hanging on both sides of the laundry room, and staff entered the clean side of the laundry area with bags of dirty linen. Staff interviews confirmed inconsistent practices and a lack of clear procedures for handling laundry, with some staff unaware of proper protocols for maintaining separation between clean and dirty items. Additionally, staff failed to consistently perform hand hygiene during medication administration. One RN did not perform hand hygiene before entering a resident's room to administer medications, acknowledging the lapse when questioned. Medication storage practices were also deficient, as capsules were observed left directly on top of a medication cart without a barrier, and an LPN admitted the capsules should have been placed in a medication cup. These actions and inactions demonstrate lapses in basic infection control and medication handling procedures.