Hazardous Cleaning Product Left at Resident Bedside
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain an environment free of hazards when a moderately cognitively impaired resident with diagnoses including diabetes, depression, and chronic kidney disease was observed with a 40-ounce bottle of multipurpose cleaner, approximately half full, on her bedside table. The cleaner’s warning label stated it could cause moderate to serious eye irritation, skin irritation, and respiratory tract irritation from vapors, and that ingestion could cause stomach distress, nausea, and vomiting. The resident reported she used the cleaner to clean spills in her room and had ordered it from a local retailer that delivered it directly to her room. The resident’s roommate was described as non-ambulatory, not self-propelling in a wheelchair, and severely cognitively impaired. Staff interviews revealed that direct care staff and nursing staff were unaware that the resident had the multipurpose cleaner in her room. A nurse aide stated she did not know the cleaner was present and acknowledged the resident should not have had it because it could cause harm if consumed or if splatter got into the eyes. A nurse reported she did not recall seeing the cleaner and stated that if aides, housekeepers, or nurses had seen it, they should have removed it immediately. The DON and Administrator both stated the resident should not have had the cleaner at the bedside, acknowledged the resident’s history of ordering items for delivery to her room, and indicated that any staff member who observed such a product should remove it and report it to leadership. North Carolina Poison Control confirmed that ingestion or eye contact with the cleaner could cause adverse effects, and the Medical Director stated she had no concerns about the resident’s exposure because she did not believe the resident would ingest it, but would call poison control if ingestion occurred.
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