Failure to Prevent Resident Injury From Use of Damaged Electric Razor
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure a safe environment and adequate supervision related to a resident’s use of a personal electric razor. The resident had a history of stroke with right-sided weakness, apraxia, aphasia, epileptic seizures, and severe dry skin, and required staff to hand him his razor because he could not use his right arm. According to the resident’s POA and a family member, the razor was in good condition several days before the incident, but when the family visited, they observed the resident’s face scratched with scabbed blood and noted that the razor head was damaged with a large gouge in the metal part. The POA reported that the damaged area of the razor had metal edges sticking up that would scratch skin if touched lightly, and stated that staff should not have given the resident a broken razor. On the date of the incident, a family member completed a concern form stating that the resident’s razor had been dropped, the head of the blades was cracked, and the razor was not working the same, resulting in the resident’s face being cut. The family member reported that staff did not look at the resident’s face and only told him they would replace the razor. Nursing documentation from that day described dry spot scratches to the resident’s left chin and neck due to shaving, and indicated that the nurse practitioner was notified and treatment orders were obtained. The family also reported finding another razor in the resident’s room that did not belong to him and believed the facility was trying to cover up that the resident’s razor had been damaged. Staff interviews showed that CNAs and the RN regularly assigned to the resident stated that the resident shaved himself and staff would set him up by handing him the razor and putting it away afterward. The CNA recalled the family member being very upset and yelling about the broken razor and the resident’s face being cut, but did not recall the appearance of the resident’s face that day. The RN confirmed there was a day when the resident was cut by the razor and that she documented a progress note, but she did not know how the razor became broken. The DON stated that staff were expected to check the razor for damage before handing it to the resident and acknowledged that a damaged razor head would increase the risk of cutting the resident’s face, but she did not personally examine the razor. The facility’s investigation was unable to determine how the razor was broken, and a requested policy related to razor safety was not provided.
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