Ongoing Pest Infestation in Resident Care, Kitchen, and Staff Areas
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain an effective pest control program to support a sanitary environment, as evidenced by ongoing issues with roaches, gnats/fruit flies, and mouse droppings documented over several months. Pest control logs from October 2025 through January 2026 showed repeated findings of roach activity reported by the Maintenance Director and multiple inspections noting 15–30 fruit flies in the main kitchen, dish room, and throughout kitchen areas. One inspection documented that all visible fruit flies were eliminated during that visit but emphasized that cleaning and repair of broken tiles and missing grout were crucial to fully address the problem. The facility’s own pest sighting log also recorded roaches in a resident room on two dates in December and mouse droppings in the kitchen in late December. Staff interviews further demonstrated that pests were present in resident care and staff areas beyond the kitchen. Multiple CNAs reported roaches in second-floor shower rooms, the employee washroom, and at the second-floor nurses’ station, as well as gnats in the dining room, around a water container, and on certain wings. One CNA stated that gnats were “terrible” on specific wings and that staff kept their belongings in bags because they did not want to take bugs home. Another CNA described the B wing shower room as “nasty” with “always some type of bug,” and reported seeing roaches at the nurses’ station when working on the second floor. Resident interviews and direct surveyor observations confirmed that pests were present in resident rooms and bathing areas and were an ongoing issue. One resident reported that gnats were “always an issue,” kept gnat traps in the room, and avoided keeping fresh fruit there due to the gnats. Another resident on B wing stated that gnats were occasionally seen in the room and had reported this to housekeeping. The surveyor observed gnats flying in a resident room and approximately 30 gnats in the B wing shower room on two separate entries, with gnats on the walls, in the air, and on the shower curtains. Two residents reported they would only shower in the spa shower room on another unit because the B wing shower room was “nasty and full of bugs” and said they would refuse showers if not taken to the spa shower room. The Maintenance Director acknowledged problems with gnats and prior roach issues, and stated that roaches had been reported in the nurses’ station, clean utility room, and shower room on the second floor, while also indicating he was unaware of the gnats in the B wing shower room because staff had not informed him.
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