Unsafe Water Temperatures in Shared Resident Bathrooms
Summary
The facility failed to ensure water temperatures were maintained within a safe range in two Jack-and-[NAME] bathrooms shared by five sampled residents. During observations, faucet water in the bathroom shared by Residents 45, 59, and 60 reached 154.1 F when turned to the hottest setting, and the bathroom shared by Residents 1 and 40 reached 153.2 F when tested the same way. On follow-up testing in the bathroom shared by Residents 1 and 40, the water reached 167.4 F in less than 10 seconds, and when retested with the faucet adjusted to the middle position, it still measured 155 F. The Maintenance Director stated the water temperatures in both bathrooms were not acceptable and not safe for residents' use. Resident 1 was admitted in March 2026 with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Resident 40 was admitted in May 2024 with a diagnosis of neurofibromatosis. Resident 45 was admitted in March 2026 with a diagnosis of COPD, Resident 59 was admitted in April 2026 with visual loss in both eyes, and Resident 60 was admitted in April 2026 with a diagnosis of NSTEMI. In the bathroom shared by Residents 45, 59, and 60, a posting near the sink stated water may exceed 120 F, but no such posting was present in the bathroom shared by Residents 1 and 40 during the initial observation. Resident 45 stated the water in the bathroom could get very hot and took about five minutes to cool to a tolerable, non-burning temperature before use, making hand washing difficult because of the time required to obtain safe water. CNA 2 stated the safe water temperature for resident use was between 110 F and 120 F and that the bathroom water could cause burns. The facility policy stated tap water should be kept within a temperature range to prevent scalding and that water heaters serving resident areas should be set to no more than 120 F or the maximum allowable state temperature.
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