Failure to Maintain Clean and Homelike Resident Rooms
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment for residents, specifically related to room cleanliness and sanitation. Surveyor observations on multiple resident rooms showed that air conditioning units in numerous rooms had black dirt and dust on the front of the units and between the vents, with air filters covered in thick dust. In several bathrooms, floors had thick dark substances near or behind toilets, disposable gloves left on the floor, and shower floors with thick soap scum, rust-like stains, or thick grayish substances. Some carpeted room floors had large dark or white stains, and bedside tables had visible stains on their lower frames. Housekeeping staff interviews confirmed that they were responsible for cleaning entire rooms, including bathrooms, and that air conditioning units were expected to be cleaned, though one housekeeper stated she did not clean air filters. One housekeeper acknowledged that he was responsible for cleaning a specific hall and that floor technicians were supposed to clean carpets; he reported having pointed out carpet issues to the floor techs, but the carpets had not been cleaned. Another housekeeper stated that rooms not being thoroughly cleaned could negatively impact residents. The floor technician reported he was responsible for cleaning floors and that he typically walked around to check carpets for spots, receiving a list of floors to clean from his supervisor and being notified when stains were reported. The housekeeping supervisor stated housekeeping was responsible for cleaning entire rooms, while maintenance was responsible for cleaning air filters, and he was unsure how often filters were cleaned. The maintenance supervisor stated he alone was responsible for cleaning air filters on a quarterly basis and could not get to them as frequently as needed. The administrator acknowledged that he expected housekeeping to thoroughly clean rooms and that failure to do so would not provide a homelike environment, and that not cleaning air conditioning filters could impact residents’ breathing. The facility’s policy on a safe and homelike environment required providing a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment and ensuring residents could receive care and services safely.
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