F0584

E

Failure to Maintain Safe and Comfortable Room Temperatures for Residents

North Canton, Ohio Survey Completed on 01-30-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain resident rooms and common areas within required temperature ranges and for resident comfort. During a survey on 01/28/26, maintenance staff used an ambient thermometer and identified multiple rooms and lounges with temperatures below regulatory standards, ranging from 62 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In one shared room, the temperature measured 67 degrees on one side and 65–66 degrees on the other, and both residents reported feeling cold, with one wearing a sweater. Several common areas, including lounges and a memory care lounge, were also found to be cold, with one lounge measuring 62–66 degrees and another at 69 degrees, where residents were observed wrapped in blankets.

Multiple residents with significant medical histories were affected and reported ongoing cold conditions. One resident with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension reported that the room “stayed cold” and stated that staff who entered the room commented on how cold it was, but she had not seen anyone monitor the temperature after these complaints. Another resident with osteoarthritis, peripheral autonomic neuropathy, and adrenal gland disorders, who was cognitively intact, stated she had spoken to multiple nurses about the cold room and that nearly every staff member entering the room remarked on how cold it was. A cognitively intact resident with multiple sclerosis, hypothyroidism, depression, and anemia reported that her room had been cold for two months, that cold air hit her in the face when she returned to the room, and that she had spoken to multiple nurses, other staff, and the Administrator about the issue.

Staff interviews and equipment issues further contributed to the deficiency. The maintenance technician reported that a wall heating unit in one lounge was not working and that he had turned it off because it was only blowing cold air; he also stated that a split heater unit in another resident’s room did not function correctly. CNAs described one hall as “always freezing,” especially certain rooms, and reported that residents complained about cold temperatures, with one resident routinely wearing mittens and others requesting plastic on drafty windows. Despite these conditions and resident complaints to various staff, the DON stated that nobody had reported problems maintaining appropriate room temperatures and that no residents had requested room changes due to cold, and the Administrator denied receiving any complaints about room temperatures, attributing the low readings to extremely cold outside weather.