F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
E

Unclean refrigerator and tray service during dining

Whitewater Health ServicesSt Charles, Minnesota Survey Completed on 07-02-2026

Summary

The facility failed to maintain a clean, homelike environment when a refrigerator used to store resident supplement drinks was observed with a large amount of ice buildup on the top freezer section and an unknown item embedded in the ice. During the kitchen tour, the cook verified the condition of the refrigerator and stated they were unsure who was responsible for cleaning, monitoring, or reporting it. Maintenance later explained that staff are supposed to place a ticket in TELS when something needs attention, and the administrator later verified the ice buildup in the dining room refrigerator. The facility also failed to eliminate the use of meal trays during dining service. During multiple observations, noon and supper meals were served to residents on trays and left in front of them in the dining room. An RN verified that the noon meal was served and left on trays and stated this had been occurring for at least two years. The VPS also verified that meals were served on trays and left in front of residents and confirmed that this was not homelike. The facility policy stated that the environment should be homelike and that meal trays should be eliminated during dining service unless otherwise requested by the resident.

Penalty

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0584 citations
Soiled Mattress and Tray-Based Meal Service
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

A resident with moderate cognitive impairment and extensive ADL needs was found with urine-soiled bedding, an unmade bed, and a mattress that was torn and heavily stained, with staff stating the damage had been present for a while. On the secured unit, all observed residents were served meals on plastic trays holding their plates, utensils, and drinks instead of having items placed directly on the table, and staff and the DON confirmed this was the routine practice.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Unsafe Room Flooring and Loose Bathroom Sinks
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

A facility failed to maintain a safe, homelike environment when a resident room had broken and missing floor tile exposing the wood underneath, and two bathrooms had sinks coming away from the wall and loose enough to move when pressure was applied. One resident said the floor had been bad for some time and had been reported without being addressed, and an LPN later confirmed the damaged flooring and loose sinks.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Furniture Not Kept in Good Repair
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

Furniture Not Kept in Good Repair: Armchairs in multiple resident rooms and chairs in the front sitting area were observed with torn or cracked upholstery exposing cloth material. The Maintenance Director stated the furniture was not in good repair and had not been notified of the damage, while the Administrator stated staff were to remove furniture with tears.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Maintain Comfortable Room Temperatures
E
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

Failure to Maintain Comfortable Room Temperatures: Several residents were found in hot, stuffy rooms with weak or nonworking AC units, and room temps were measured above 81 F, including one room at 89.5 F. Residents reported feeling hot and uncomfortable, and some were not offered a room change while the issue persisted. The facility did not follow its Hot Weather policy for relocating residents to cooler areas and monitoring room temps.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Excessive Ambient Temperatures at Nurses' Stations
E
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

Excessive ambient temperatures were observed at the 100/200 and 300/400 nurses' stations when the wall thermostat and facility temperature monitoring device both showed readings in the low 80s. The surveyor verified the readings with the Facility Maintenance Director while residents were seated in nearby common areas.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Soiled wheelchair left uncleaned
D
F0584 F584: Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Short Summary

Soiled wheelchair left uncleaned: A resident with severe cognitive impairment, stroke, hemiplegia, and dementia had a wheelchair that was visibly soiled with dirt, debris, a brown substance on the seat edge, and food remnants. The wheelchair remained dirty across multiple observations while NA-A said night shift staff were responsible for cleaning wheelchairs, and the RNCM and DON confirmed the condition was a concern and an infection control concern.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Citation search

Search every citation & Plan of Correction

Go to search
Citation watch

Track new serious citations across Minnesota

Get a heads-up on the newest immediate-jeopardy (J–L) citations in Minnesota — where surveyors are focused right now.

Free · about one email a month

Trusted data from CMS and state health departments

Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release August 26, 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.

Get the Survey-Prep Report
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙