The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently reported finding 18 of the 20 Texas nursing homes involved in its onsite inspections to be deficient in the areas of emergency preparedness and life safety. A total of 235 deficiencies were cited involving failure to meet life safety requirements regarding building exits and smoke partitions, fire detection and suppression systems, hazardous storage areas, fire drills and smoking policies, electrical equipment, and elevator inspection and testing. Fifty-five deficiencies were cited related to the emergency preparedness requirements for written emergency plans, emergency supplies and power, emergency communications plans, and emergency plan training. These deficiencies in the 18 facilities place the residents in jeopardy for increased risk of injury or death during a fire or other emergency.
Inadequate management oversight along with a high turnover of maintenance and administrative personnel were noted as the cause for the deficiencies. Additionally, maintenance staff in some of the facilities indicated that the advanced age of some buildings made building maintenance challenging.
OIG recommended that Texas officials follow-up with the 18 nursing homes to confirm that they take the necessary corrective actions to ensure that the life safety and emergency preparedness deficiencies identified are rectified.
The Texas officials agreed with the OIG findings and indicated they would follow-up to verify that the deficiencies were corrected. They also indicated that training and guidance had been developed and provided in Corpus Christi for maintenance of the areas where the deficiencies occurred and for nursing staff on how to develop an emergency preparedness plan. Additional training courses are scheduled in other Texas cities for 2020.
Compliance Perspective
Failure to follow regulatory protocols regarding the safe and orderly transfer and discharge of residents, while ignoring warnings from a licensing supervisor, may result in suspension of a facility’s operating license and be considered abuse, neglect, and provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding all areas of building maintenance, and ensure that an effective emergency preparedness program has been developed and implemented.
- Train maintenance staff on the requirements for ensuring that the building is safe and secure, and that fire prevention and safety measures are in place. Also, train staff involved in developing and implementing the facility’s emergency preparedness plan to ensure the proper education and drills are used to prepare staff to protect residents should an emergency occur.
- Periodically audit to determine if regular maintenance is occurring throughout the facility’s buildings, and determine if the staff are trained and participating in regular emergency response drills.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS FOR NURSING HOMES
