Failure to Maintain Cleanliness of Personal Fans in Resident Rooms
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a clean and sanitary environment for two residents by not ensuring the cleanliness of personal fans in their rooms. Facility policy requires housekeeping staff to maintain the cleanliness of each resident's room daily, including cleaning low-touch surfaces on a scheduled basis. Observations revealed that both residents had personal fans on their bedside tables, positioned to blow air toward their faces. The fans had visible gray dust on the blades and thick debris resembling clumped gray fibers on the protective grilles. Both residents were present in their rooms at the time of observation and confirmed the use of the fans. One resident had diagnoses including colon cancer, heart disease, chronic pain, and major depressive disorder, and was assessed as cognitively intact. The other resident had heart valve disease, heart failure, and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia, and was assessed as having mild cognitive impairment. The Environmental Services Director confirmed that the fans in both rooms were not clean and acknowledged that rooms and equipment should be dusted and cleaned daily, as per facility policy.