Obstructed Hallways and Handrails Create Accident Hazards
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed throughout the survey day that the North and South nursing unit hallways contained multiple pieces of equipment, including wheelchairs, linen carts, soiled double linen carts, medication carts, and lifts. These items were present in the corridors from the morning through late afternoon and obstructed continued access to the handrails intended for resident ambulation and mobility assistance. The equipment placement also interfered with creating a homelike environment and did not allow unobstructed egress through the halls or clear access for potential emergency staff to reach residents. In an interview, the Assistant Director of Nursing stated that resident care areas should be maintained in a clean and orderly manner and confirmed that the facility failed to maintain an environment free of potential accident hazards and obstacles for safe mobility and use of mobility assistance devices on two of three nursing units. No specific residents or their medical conditions were identified in the report as being directly involved in this deficiency.
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