F0921

E

Unsanitary and Poorly Maintained Resident Restrooms

Wilmington, Illinois Survey Completed on 03-17-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a failure to maintain safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable resident restrooms for all 18 residents reviewed for restroom environment. The Environmental Manager stated that housekeepers are assigned to clean resident bedrooms and bathrooms daily, including toilets, sinks, and dispensers. However, during inspection of one shared restroom used by six residents, surveyors observed toilet paper on the floor, scattered black stained footprints, and a blue cloth bed pad with large brown stains placed at the base of a leaking toilet. A dirty plunger was stored on the floor next to the toilet. In another shared restroom used by six different residents, the sink had large areas of stale brown stains and toothpaste buildup, the floor had scattered black stains, the toilet seat was chipped in multiple areas, and the inside of the toilet bowl had large areas of black buildup, with a plunger again stored on the floor. The Environmental Manager acknowledged that the floors needed sweeping and mopping, that the plungers were not clean or hygienic, and that the toilet leakage had been discussed in team meetings and reported to Maintenance.

Multiple residents reported that housekeeping did not clean the bathrooms daily and described persistent unsanitary conditions. One resident stated housekeeping came every three days, that black buildup in the toilet had been present as long as she could remember, that she hated it, and that the chipped toilet was not hygienic given it was shared with five others; she also reported the toilet clogged at least once a day and that staff were informed each time. Another resident reported the bathroom was cleaned maybe once a week and that the black buildup and chipped toilet seat had always been present, and that staff were aware of the chipped seat. A third resident stated staff cleaned the bathroom three times a week but that it was always dirty, leading her to sometimes use a shower bathroom down the hall instead. In a third shared restroom, surveyors observed another stained blue cloth bed pad on the floor at the front of the toilet base, with black-stained, peeling tiles beneath it. Residents using this restroom reported the black-stained floor had been present for a long time and that they had informed staff, and one resident reported the toilet sometimes leaked and believed facility staff knew because it had been ongoing. The Maintenance Director stated the black-stained tile was from moisture such as urine, that he had requested tile replacement about two months earlier and it remained on his to-do list, and that the toilet seat and black buildup in another restroom needed replacement and cleaning. The DON acknowledged hearing concerns about toilets clogging and stated plungers were unsanitary and should not be left in resident restrooms, despite the facility’s housekeeping policy requiring daily cleaning of toilets and lavatories.