Improper Trash/Linen Handling and Unrepaired Broken Toilet in Shower Areas
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain a safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable environment on one resident hall and in two shower rooms. Surveyors observed dirty linens on the floor and a bag of trash in a clear bag behind the door in one shower room. Laundry staff stated that dirty linens should not be on the shower floor but in a linen barrel, and a housekeeper, who was not wearing gloves, picked up the dirty linens and placed them in the designated barrel, later acknowledging that gloves should have been worn when handling dirty linens. The ADON, a CNA, and other staff members consistently stated that dirty linens should be bagged and placed in gray barrels, trash should be placed in yellow barrels, and that linens and trash should not be stored on the floor. Surveyors also observed two bags of trash in clear bags on the floor in front of a shower room on one hall. A CNA was seen picking up the trash and placing it on a gray barrel to roll it down the hall. Multiple staff members, including a CMA, housekeeper, housekeeping supervisor, LVN, ADON, DON, and ADM, stated that trash should not be left on the floor in hallways or behind shower doors, should not be placed on top of gray linen barrels, and should instead be properly contained in yellow barrels and taken directly to the dumpster. One CNA admitted she was the person who placed the trash bags on the hallway floor and believed it was acceptable if the trash was bagged or combined with dirty linens for transport, which conflicted with the facility’s stated practices and staff expectations. In addition, surveyors observed that the toilet rim in one shower room was broken at the back, with exposed rigid porcelain edges. The broken toilet had been present for an extended period, as a housekeeper reported having submitted a maintenance request months earlier through a mobile QR application and stated that the toilet rim had been broken for a while. Nursing and administrative staff, including an LVN, ADON, DON, and ADM, reported they were not aware of the broken porcelain until it was brought to their attention during the survey. They each stated that any staff member who identified such damage would be responsible for reporting it immediately to maintenance or administration. The facility’s infection control policy required proper handling and transport of soiled linens with appropriate PPE and hygienic storage, and the resident rights policy required care in an environment that promotes quality of life, but the observed conditions in the hall and shower rooms did not align with these policies.
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