Environmental Disrepair and Unsanitary Surfaces in Resident Care and Laundry Areas
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain a safe, sanitary, and homelike environment in multiple resident care and support areas. Surveyors observed chipped and cracked floor tiles and chipped paint on doors and door jambs in several resident rooms on different hallways, as well as exposed plaster and unsealed surfaces in high-touch areas. At both the east and west nursing station hand-washing sinks, there was exposed and damaged plaster behind the faucets and handles. In the clean and soiled utility rooms, surveyors noted chipped paint, exposed plaster, unsealed concrete, and visibly dirty, sticky high-touch areas, including black and grey residue around door handles and jambs. The medication cart at the west nursing station was observed to have a crack and open area on the work surface with exposed wood, and staff, including a licensed nurse and the Infection Preventionist, stated they were unsure whether such exposed wood and damaged surfaces could be disinfected. In the laundry area, only one of two washing machines was functioning, and the operating machine had a heavy band of white, rusty, powdery material resembling corrosion. The ceiling in the washing room had a rough, rusty metal box that had been painted over, and the dryer area had broken floor tiles, scratched walls with exposed plaster, and a ceiling with a large rough area of exposed plaster. The folding table used for clean resident laundry had exposed unsealed wood edges and a cracked, bubbled laminate surface. Surveyors also observed a red hose and spigot plumbed through a hole in the wall from the laundry room to the outside dirty laundry sorting area, with a visible gap around the hose allowing sunlight into the room and a steady drip of water forming a pool on the outside cement. Staff, including the Housekeeping Director and Infection Preventionist, repeatedly stated they did not know if exposed plaster, chipped paint, rust, corrosion, unsealed wood, or exposed concrete could be disinfected or sanitized. The Administrator, DON, and Maintenance Director acknowledged awareness of various environmental issues, including non-functioning equipment, damaged floors, chipped paint, exposed plaster, and a non-functioning shower room light, while also indicating that repairs were delayed or pending, and that resident rooms were often occupied, making floor repairs difficult. These conditions were cited as creating an environment that did not appear homelike and increased the risk of cross contamination and spread of contagious disease.
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