Failure to Maintain Clean and Homelike Toilet Conditions
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain residents’ toilets in a clean, safe, and homelike condition as required by its Safe and Homelike Environment Policy. Surveyors observed rusty metal strips at the openings of toilets in the shared bathrooms of four residents. One resident’s toilet had a rusty metal strip at the opening, and the resident reported that it bothered them and that they had informed a CNA and a housekeeper. Another resident was seen exiting a bathroom where the toilet also had a rusty metal strip; this resident stated they did not like the strip and had told staff about it previously. A third resident’s toilet had an elevated seat resting on a rusty metal strip, and this resident stated the strip bothered them and that they had reported it to maintenance a long time ago. A fourth resident’s shared bathroom toilet also contained a rusty metal strip at the opening. Staff interviews and record review showed that these concerns were not acted upon or documented through the facility’s maintenance systems. An LPN initially stated she had not seen rusty metal strips on toilets but, upon observation, acknowledged the condition was not acceptable. A housekeeper reported having noticed a rusty metal strip and said he had placed it on a maintenance clipboard at one time and confirmed residents had complained, noting the rust resembled feces. However, maintenance request logs from several months contained no entries about rusty metal toilet strips. The account manager supervising housekeeping admitted awareness of the rusty strips and acknowledged they were not homelike but had not reported them. The DON stated the strips were attached to toilet handrails and that housekeeping should have reported resident complaints or entered them into the computerized maintenance program, confirming they were not on the maintenance log and that toilets should not contain rusty metal strips. The executive director stated the strips had been present for a long time, were not appropriate, and that she had not been notified of resident complaints.
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