F0695

D

Failure to Follow 30-Day Ventilator Circuit and Filter Change Policy

Des Plaines, Illinois Survey Completed on 03-25-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Failure to provide safe and appropriate respiratory care occurred when the facility did not follow its Respiratory Care Equipment and Supplies policy for changing ventilator circuits and filters. A male resident with intact cognition, admitted with tracheostomy, ventilator dependence, and neuromuscular dysfunction of the bladder, was observed in bed with a ventilator/tracheostomy setup and cough assistance, using a visibly dirty ventilator circuit and a filter labeled with a change date of 2/20. During observation, the resident and his spouse reported that the facility was not changing the ventilator circuit every month and stated that the last change was on February 20th, which they believed was overdue. The respiratory therapist acknowledged that the resident’s ventilator circuit and filters were due to be changed every 30 days per policy and admitted waiting until the first of the next month instead of following the 30‑day schedule. The DON also confirmed that the ventilator circuit and filter should be changed according to the facility’s policy, which specifies that ventilator circuits and air intake filters must be cleaned and replaced every 30 days, indicating that this schedule was not followed for this resident.