Soiled Resident Wheelchair Not Cleaned
Summary
The facility failed to ensure Resident #119’s motorized wheelchair was cleaned for an indeterminate period of time. Resident #119 was a [AGE]-year-old male with diagnoses including coronary artery disease, hypertension, kidney failure, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, legal blindness, and morbid obesity. His MDS reflected impairment of both lower extremities, use of a motorized wheelchair, and a BIMS score of 11. His care plan identified that he was at risk for infection due to wounds, at risk for pressure ulcers and/or impaired skin integrity, and needed assistance with daily ADL care. During observation, Resident #119 was sitting in a motorized wheelchair that was visibly soiled with debris on the footrest, arm rests, plastic above the wheels, and the visible portion of the seat cushion. He stated he was legally blind and that staff did not normally clean his wheelchair or offer to clean it. He also stated he had not asked staff for help cleaning it because he did not know they would do that for him. He reported that he had dropped a piece of meat on the chair the day before, and a golf ball-sized red/brown goo was observed at the bottom of the wheelchair near the footrest. Interviews with the IP, LVNs, CNAs, and the DON showed that the facility’s practice was for CNA staff, primarily on night shift, to clean resident wheelchairs on a weekly schedule, but there was no documentation showing when the task was completed. Staff stated they used spot checks and rounding to monitor cleanliness, and several staff members said they were unsure when Resident #119’s wheelchair had last been cleaned. The facility policy stated that direct care staff are responsible for cleaning single-resident equipment when visibly soiled and according to routine schedule where applicable.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release October 8, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
In your survey window? See what surveyors are citing.
The Survey-Prep Report maps your facility's risk from 12 months of CMS and state citation data — what's being cited around you and what to check first. $129 one-time.