Improper Non-Emergency Use of Alarmed Exit Door Disrupting Homelike Environment
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to honor residents’ right to a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment by using an alarmed emergency exit door for non-emergency purposes, contrary to posted signage and facility policy. During an observation, surveyors noted a door located next to a resident room that led outside and was clearly marked with signs stating it was for emergency exit only and that an alarm would sound if opened, instructing individuals to use another exit. In interviews, the maintenance director confirmed the door was only to be used during emergencies and that staff were aware an alarm would sound if it was opened. The DON also confirmed the door was intended for emergency use only but acknowledged that some staff used this door to enter and exit the facility during non-emergencies, despite the loud alarm it produced. Review of the facility’s “Homelike Environment” policy indicated the facility was to maximize characteristics of a personalized, homelike setting, including maintaining comfortable sound levels, which conflicted with staff’s non-emergency use of the alarmed door. No specific resident medical histories or conditions were described in the report, but the door in question was located next to a resident room, and the deficiency centered on the impact of the alarm noise on maintaining comfortable sound levels as required by the facility’s homelike environment policy.
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