Personal Refrigerators Not Properly Monitored or Maintained
Summary
The facility failed to provide housekeeping and maintenance services necessary to maintain a sanitary, orderly, and comfortable interior for residents with personal refrigerators. During observations and record review, personal refrigerators in the rooms of three residents were found without proper monitoring or maintenance, including missing thermometers, missing or incomplete temperature logs, and spoiled or questionable food items stored inside. Resident #2, a female with diagnoses including sacral spina bifida with hydrocephalus, major depressive disorder, and an above-knee amputation, was observed with a personal refrigerator in her room that did not have a thermometer or a temperature log. Her MDS assessment indicated she was cognitively intact for daily decision making, and her care plan included assistance with ADLs and monitoring for cognitive changes. During the observation, she stated that no one from the facility had ever checked her refrigerator. Resident #72, a male with diagnoses including intracranial injury, major depressive disorder, chronic pain, osteoporosis, osteonecrosis, and a history of traumatic brain injury, also had a personal refrigerator in his room without a thermometer or temperature log. On follow-up observation, the same condition remained. He stated that staff had not told him he was responsible for cleaning out the refrigerator and that housekeeping had only wiped off the top of the refrigerator. Resident #89, a male with diagnoses including dementia with agitation, major depressive disorder, anxiety, insomnia, metabolic encephalopathy, paraplegia, mononeuropathy/polyneuropathy, chronic pain, and a history of spinal cord injury, had a personal refrigerator with an incomplete temperature log, ice buildup with brown discoloration in the freezer, a towel with an unknown brown substance in the bottom, multiple undated food items, and a nutritional shake labeled with another resident's name and dated 1/3/26 with instructions to keep frozen. He stated that staff and family had not assisted with cleaning out the refrigerator. The Administrator and DON stated that hallway champions should be checking residents' personal refrigerators, that each fridge should have a thermometer and temperature log, and that staff should have noticed the condition of Resident #89's refrigerator and assisted with it.
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