Failure to Ensure Consistent Availability of Linens and Laundry for Resident Hygiene and Comfort
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment by not ensuring consistent availability of bath linens and adequate laundry services for multiple residents. An anonymous complaint alleged there were not enough linens to meet residents’ care needs. During interviews, several CNAs reported that linens, especially towels and washcloths, were short almost all the time, with some shifts starting with no linen available. CNAs described cutting bath blankets and using pillowcases to clean residents, and stated that shortages delayed resident care and showers. One CNA stated they did not understand the linen system and noted that laundry was typically done only in the morning, with no one staying to wash at night. Residents also reported not receiving necessary linens and hygiene items. One resident stated they did not get towels or washcloths and that staff had never offered them, relying instead on hygiene wipes brought by family and expressing a desire to use water for cleaning. Another resident reported that towels were short, they could not take showers as needed, and they had to “fight for a shower.” A resident described aides coming in and stating they were completely out of washcloths and towels and could not change the resident until they found some, resulting in the aides going on a “scavenger hunt” for linens. A family member reported that a resident had no laundry or clothes in the room, that a blanket brought from home had gone missing, and that most of the time the resident had no clothing available despite the family frequently refilling drawers. Observations of the clean utility linen supply closets on multiple units showed no washcloths and only a few towels, and no towels or washcloths were seen in residents’ rooms during interviews. The Housekeeping Supervisor reported that one laundry staff member had left and another had a broken arm, acknowledged that the laundry department was responsible for stocking clean utility rooms, and speculated that staff or residents might be keeping extra supplies in rooms. When the laundry room was toured, washers were running mainly with sheets, and there were no clean towels or washcloths in the clean laundry bins. A separate, closed construction unit—unavailable to floor staff—contained numerous unopened boxes of new towels and washcloths that were not in circulation; the Housekeeping Supervisor had no explanation for why these were not being used. The NHA later stated that this was considered emergency stock and that they believed staff had been delivering needed linens, although this was not supported by staff or resident reports or surveyor observations. Additional issues with residents’ personal clothing were identified. One resident, who was fully alert and oriented, reported frequently missing dresses and pants, and a room inspection with the NHA and Housekeeping Supervisor found only a few dresses and no pants. Another resident’s family member reported that the resident’s clothes and blanket repeatedly disappeared in laundry, that drawers were often empty of clothing, and that on the day of observation there were no clothes in the room except for a damp, urine-smelling shirt and pants that did not belong to the resident. The assigned CNA confirmed there were no clothes in the room and acknowledged ongoing shortages of washcloths, towels, and linens since starting work three months earlier, stating they had resorted to using wipes and draw sheets for care. The laundry aide reported linen shortages on the units, attributed mainly to being down two laundry staff, and stated that while supply was not the main problem, there was insufficient staff to get clothes and linens up to the floors. The facility had no written linen or laundry policy, and the only provided environmental services policy did not address laundering linens or residents’ clothing. Following the surveyor’s identification of concerns, later observations showed the clean utility rooms stocked with ample washcloths and towels, and no further shortages were reported during the remaining survey period. However, the deficiency centers on the period when residents and staff experienced ongoing shortages of towels, washcloths, and clothing, the lack of a defined linen/laundry policy, and the existence of substantial unused linen stock stored in an inaccessible construction area while residents lacked basic linens and adequate laundry support for personal hygiene and comfort.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Unclean Bed Linens: A resident with hypothyroidism and chronic diastolic heart failure had a pillowcase with several dry dark brown/red areas and sheets that appeared gray and unclean. The resident could not remember the last time the linens were changed, and the DON confirmed the linens should have been changed.
Dirty Resident Room and Respiratory Equipment: A resident with dysphagia, a feeding tube, and a tracheostomy had a room observed with a dirty fan, debris on the mattress, dust and dried debris on the O2 concentrator and trach machine, and a dirty towel on the bed. A family member reported the area by the bed was often dirty from tube feeding, and an LPN Resident Care Manager agreed the room was dirty and needed daily cleaning.
A resident’s room and the second-floor hallway had missing baseboards, including under the window in the room and periodically along both sides of the hall. During interview, an Mnt. employee stated the machine must be hitting them and that they had been taken off.
A resident room wall near the window was observed damaged and in disrepair, with a crack large enough for an ink pen to be inserted through it. The Maintenance Director said he knew about the damage after the resident reported it about 2 weeks earlier and believed it was caused by an AC leak. The damaged area covered about 6 square feet, while the Administrator said she was not aware of it and that the facility did not have a specific audit for wall or structural integrity checks.
Unsafe and Deteriorated Resident Room Conditions: Surveyors observed multiple resident rooms with broken, rusted, unsecured, and deteriorated conditions, including a hanging drawer front, scuffed and chipped walls, missing wall trim/chair rails, rust on a bedframe and AC shelf, a broken bathroom tile, and a gallon of Clorox stored in a bathroom. The Maintenance Director acknowledged the environmental conditions during the walkthrough, and photographic evidence was obtained.
The facility failed to maintain a clean, safe, and homelike environment. Surveyors observed dirty hallway vents, ceiling areas with residue, damaged walls, protruding door panel edges, missing tile and cracked flooring in shower areas, and multiple unsanitary conditions in resident rooms, including cracked light covers with bugs, uncovered soiled items, and substances on floors, mattresses, bed sheets, and bedside tables. Two residents’ wheelchairs also had dried substances and hair buildup, and staff acknowledged some areas needed repair or cleaning.
Unclean Bed Linens
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide housekeeping services necessary to maintain clean bed linens for one resident. Facility policy stated bed linens are to be changed at least weekly and whenever clinically indicated or requested by the resident. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including hypothyroidism and chronic diastolic heart failure, and the care plan included an intervention to keep bed linen clean due to impaired skin. During observations, the resident’s pillowcase had several dry areas of a dark brown/red substance and the bed sheets had a gray hue and appeared unclean. The resident stated he/she could not remember the last time the sheets were changed. The DON later confirmed that the pillowcase had dark brown/red areas, the sheets appeared unclean, and the bed linens should have been changed.
Dirty Resident Room and Respiratory Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a homelike environment for Resident 6, who was admitted in 2022 with diagnoses including dysphagia and whose annual MDS dated 10/25/25 showed a feeding tube for nutrition and a tracheostomy in place. During observation, the resident’s room contained a small black fan that was very dirty and dusty and appeared not to have been cleaned for a long time. The resident’s room was later observed with a mattress on the floor near the bed that appeared dirty with dried clear debris, an oxygen concentrator with dried clear debris and dust on it, a tracheostomy machine with dried white debris all over it, the black fan covered in dust, and a dirty towel on the resident’s bed. A family member stated the area next to the resident’s bed was dirty and often had liquid on it from the tube feeding and appeared gross. An LPN Resident Care Manager observed the room and agreed it was dirty and needed to be cleaned daily.
Missing Baseboards on Second-Floor Hallway and Resident Room
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a clean, safe, comfortable, and homelike environment on the second floor. During a tour with Maintenance Employee E9, Resident R171’s room was observed to have a missing part of a baseboard under the window, and the left side of the hallway had baseboards missing periodically down the hall. The right side of the hallway also had baseboards missing periodically down the hall. During an interview, Maintenance Employee E15 stated that the machine must be hitting the baseboards and that they had been taken off.
Damaged Resident Room Wall Left in Disrepair
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide maintenance services to keep a resident bedroom in good repair. In room [ROOM NUMBER], the wall near the window was observed to be damaged and in disrepair, with a crack large enough that the end of an ink pen could be inserted through the wall. The observation was made during a surveyor visit, and photographic evidence was obtained. When the wall was re-observed with the Maintenance Director, he stated he was aware of the damage and said the resident in the room had reported it about 2 weeks earlier. He stated he believed the damage was caused by the air conditioning leaking. The damaged area covered about 6 square feet and extended about 12 inches up the wall. The Administrator later stated she was not aware of the damage and said the facility had room rounds but did not have a specific audit to inspect walls and structural integrity. The facility policy stated that environmental repairs and upkeep would be addressed and corrected in a timely manner, with resident safety taking priority over cosmetic repairs.
Unsafe and Deteriorated Resident Room Conditions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable environment when multiple resident rooms and resident-use areas were observed in damaged, deteriorated, unsecured, or unsanitary condition in 8 of 64 rooms observed. During observations, surveyors found a broken and hanging drawer front on a built-in wall cabinet, scuffed walls with chipped and scraped paint, rusted air return vent grilles, unsecured trim adjacent to a grille, rust on a bedframe, a broken bathroom floor tile, missing wall trim/chair rail leaving unfinished wall areas, a gallon of Clorox in a bathroom, and a metal air conditioning shelf with visible rust. One room also had a dresser that was scratched and heavily exposed the wood underneath the paint. Additional observations showed more rooms with scuffed walls, chipped and scraped paint, missing wall trim/chair rail, exposed torn sheetrock, and chipped and scraped paint beneath a window. During an interview and walkthrough, the Maintenance Director acknowledged the identified environmental conditions requiring repair or correction. Photographic evidence was obtained of all the issues observed.
Cleanliness, Safety, and Equipment Sanitation Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure residents were provided with a clean, safe, and homelike environment. Surveyors observed multiple areas of disrepair and cleanliness concerns throughout the building, including shower room flooring with dark residue and chipped, open penetrations, hallway vents and ceiling areas with black, gray, and cobweb-like substances, wall gouges, and dining room ceiling vents and lights with dry splattering and rust-colored residue. The facility’s maintenance manager and maintenance director stated they were aware of some of the shower room and panel issues and knew repairs were needed. Surveyors also observed unsafe conditions in resident areas and common spaces. Plastic door panels outside two rooms had protruding edges, the south hall shower room had two large holes where tile was missing and a smaller crack, and staff acknowledged the flooring needed correction. In resident rooms, surveyors observed cracked light covers containing bugs, gouges in walls and railings, a missing bathroom door, a thick black substance at a room entrance threshold, and uncovered soiled items such as an isolation bin with soiled linen and a bedpan on the floor under the sink. Equipment cleanliness concerns were also identified. Two residents’ wheelchairs had dried substances on the cushions and wheels, with hair accumulated in the wheel mechanisms, and a CNA stated night shift should have cleaned the wheelchairs. In another room, surveyors observed mattresses with dried brown and white substances, a mattress leaning against the wall with dried white substance, dried substances on the floor and bed sheets, and a bedside table with dried brown substance. Facility logs reviewed did not document cleaning of hallway vents, mats, or mattresses at the bedside, and the Housekeeping Supervisor stated vents should have been cleaned and that nurse aides were responsible for cleaning body fluids from mattresses and mats before housekeeping cleaned them.
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