F0814

F

Improper Garbage Disposal and Open Dumpsters Create Unsanitary Conditions

Stockton, California Survey Completed on 01-16-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to properly dispose of garbage and refuse, including residents’ personal trash and food-related waste, in the designated dumpster area. During an observation outside near the parking area, surveyors noted scattered trash on the ground, including used masks, gloves, baby/sanitary wipes, and a trash bag filled with residents’ personal trash containing used diapers with a brown substance. The dumpster containers were left open and overfilled, with trash bags piled up to the top. The Infection Preventionist (IP) stated that nursing staff were expected to place trash in designated barrels, and that CNAs and/or housekeepers should take the filled barrels to the dumpster at the end of each shift or when full, to minimize spills and prevent cross contamination. The IP confirmed that trash scattered on the ground and a trash bag lying next to the open dumpsters were residents’ personal trash, including briefs that appeared to contain stool.

From a conference room window facing the dumpster area, the IP again confirmed the presence of a trash bag filled with residents’ trash on the ground next to two open dumpsters, as well as scattered PPE and other trash from residents’ personal refuse. The IP stated that Maintenance was responsible for checking the front of the facility but was unsure if they were also responsible for the back dumpster area, which served as the main trash area. Dietary staff reported that they emptied trash into the dumpster outside the double doors of the kitchen, using their own bins for recycling and trash, and that these bins were placed outside the kitchen door rather than inside. This indicated that multiple departments, including nursing, housekeeping, and dietary, were using the same dumpster area where the unsanitary conditions were observed.

The Dietary Services Manager (DSM), observing the same area, confirmed that masks and gloves were on the ground by the dumpster and stated that nursing, housekeeping, central supply, and all departments used the dumpsters and should keep the lids closed to prevent the spread of infection. The Maintenance Director (MS) acknowledged seeing trash, including gloves and masks, on the ground and confirmed that the dumpsters had been left open, stating this was not correct practice for infection control and that city regulations required dumpsters to be kept closed. Review of the facility’s policies showed that food-related garbage and refuse were to be stored in a manner inaccessible to pests, with outside dumpsters kept closed and free of surrounding litter, and that the Infection Prevention and Control Program was a facility-wide effort to provide a safe, sanitary environment and prevent the development and transmission of infections. These observations and statements demonstrate that the facility did not maintain the dumpster area in a sanitary condition or follow its own policies for garbage and refuse disposal for a census of 115 residents.