Failure to Maintain Comfortable Shower Water Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain comfortable water temperatures in all five shower rooms, affecting residents' right to a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment. Surveyors measured water temperatures in multiple shower rooms over two days and found that while initial temperatures were within or near a comfortable range, they dropped significantly within minutes. In the large South shower, water started at 100.4°F and fell to 77.4°F within 11 minutes. In the small East shower, water began at 107.4°F and dropped to 85.2°F within eight minutes. The large East shower showed a relatively stable temperature (97.6°F to 98.4°F within one minute), but the North shower dropped from 81.3°F to 70.5°F within two minutes, and the small South shower decreased from 104.6°F to 85.8°F within five minutes. Facility policy on ADL bathing required ensuring the bathing area was at a comfortable temperature, and a maintenance document dated 11/17/25 noted that hot water was not working on the north hall. Residents and staff reported ongoing problems with shower water becoming uncomfortably cold. One resident stated the shower water was warm for about two minutes and then became "ice cold," leading them to avoid taking many showers. Another resident reported that within five minutes the water became "freezing" and described it as "frigid," while another said the water on the north hall became freezing within a minute. CNAs reported that when they started showers, the water turned very cold within about three minutes, forcing them to hurry to rinse soap off residents and resulting in residents feeling their showers were cut short or refusing showers because they knew the water would get cold quickly. Staff also stated they had reported the cold water issue in the shower rooms to the maintenance supervisor several times. The maintenance supervisor acknowledged they did not perform routine water temperature checks and had no temperature logs, and the administrator stated that after feeling the water from the north hall shower, they personally would not take a shower in that water because it was too cold.
We Help Long-Term Care Teams Stay Survey-Ready
We process and analyze inspection reports and plan of correction using AI to extract insights and trends so providers can improve care quality and stay ahead of compliance risks.