F0584

E

Failure to Maintain Safe Hot Water Temperatures for Resident Care

Grayville, Illinois Survey Completed on 03-06-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide adequately heated water for showers and personal care to all eight residents reviewed for environmental conditions. Surveyors verified thermometer accuracy and then documented multiple instances where hot water temperatures at resident sinks and in shower rooms were significantly below the facility’s stated safe range of 100–110°F. On several occasions, water at resident bathroom sinks did not exceed temperatures ranging from approximately 63°F to 96°F even after running for several minutes, and shower water temperatures in the North Hall shower rooms were recorded between 66°F and 85°F. Residents who were alert and oriented reported that the water in their sinks was too cold to wash their hands or was sometimes not warm, and a CNA was observed moving a resident from one shower room to another because the water was not warm enough.

The Maintenance Director stated he only checks water temperatures at faucets and not in showers, relying on a loop system that he believed should keep temperatures consistent, and reported that temperatures appear fine when he checks them early in the morning before showers are given. The Administrator stated his expectation, consistent with the facility’s Water Temperature Safety Guideline, is that water temperatures in resident sinks, showers, and tubs remain between 100–110°F and be checked per protocol. The facility’s written guideline specifies that this temperature range is intended to help prevent resident burns and reduce the risk of bacteria growth by keeping water at safe temperatures, yet the documented observations show that resident care areas, including individual bathrooms and shower rooms, did not consistently meet these parameters during the survey.