F0880

D

Failure to Use Gloves During Ophthalmic Medication Administration

Kutztown, Pennsylvania Survey Completed on 03-27-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to follow its own infection prevention policy for administering ophthalmic medications to a resident. The facility’s policy on administration of eye drops or ointments, last reviewed February 26, 2026, required that eye medications be administered in accordance with professional standards of practice and that gloves be applied prior to administration. On March 25, 2026, at 8:50 a.m., LPN 1 was observed administering two medicated eye drops—prednisolone 1%, used to treat eye inflammation, swelling, and redness caused by surgery, injury, or allergies, and ofloxacin 0.3%, used to treat bacterial eye infections—to Resident 19 without wearing gloves, using her ungloved hands during the process. In a subsequent interview on March 26, 2026, at 9:55 a.m., the Director of Nursing confirmed that the nurse should have been wearing gloves when administering the eye medications, indicating that the observed practice did not comply with the facility’s resident care and nursing services policies.

This deficiency was cited under 28 Pa. Code 211.10(d) related to resident care policies and 28 Pa. Code 211.12(d)(1)(5) related to nursing services, based on the observed deviation from established infection control procedures during medication administration for Resident 19.