§483.80 Infection Control The facility must establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment and to help prevent the development and transmission of communicable diseases and infections.
§483.80(a) Infection prevention and control program. The facility must establish an infection prevention and control program (IPCP) that must include, at a minimum, the following elements:
§483.80(a)(1) A system for preventing, identifying, reporting, investigating, and controlling infections and communicable diseases for all residents, staff, volunteers, visitors, and other individuals providing services under a contractual arrangement based upon the facility assessment conducted according to §483.71 and following accepted national standards;
§483.80(a)(2) Written standards, policies, and procedures for the program, which must include, but are not limited to: (i) A system of surveillance designed to identify possible communicable diseases or infections before they can spread to other persons in the facility; (ii) When and to whom possible incidents of communicable disease or infections should be reported; (iii) Standard and transmission-based precautions to be followed to prevent spread of infections; (iv)When and how isolation should be used for a resident; including but not limited to: (A) The type and duration of the isolation, depending upon the infectious agent or organism involved, and (B) A requirement that the isolation should be the least restrictive possible for the resident under the circumstances. (v) The circumstances under which the facility must prohibit employees with a communicable disease or infected skin lesions from direct contact with residents or their food, if direct contact will transmit the disease; and (vi)The hand hygiene procedures to be followed by staff involved in direct resident contact.
§483.80(a)(4) A system for recording incidents identified under the facility's IPCP and the corrective actions taken by the facility.
§483.80(e) Linens. Personnel must handle, store, process, and transport linens so as to prevent the spread of infection.
§483.80(f) Annual review. The facility will conduct an annual review of its IPCP and update their program, as necessary.
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Observations:
Based on review of facility policy and clinical record, observations, and staff interview, it was determined that the facility failed to follow acceptable infection control practices regarding enhanced barrier precautions (EBP) for one of 27 residents reviewed (Resident R76) on the 400 unit (memory care unit.)
Findings include:
Review of a facility policy entitled, "Isolation Precautions (Contact, Droplet, Airborne)," dated 1/01/26, revealed it is the policy of this facility to "prevent and limit the spread of infection within the facility through the use of isolation precautions while providing care to those that require isolation precautions." The policy further stated that "An orange sign instructing visitors to report to the nursing station before entering should be placed at the doorway of the resident's room.
Isolation precautions refer to the use of gown and gloves for certain residents during specific high-contact resident care activities that have been found to increase risk for transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms. Clear signage will be posted on the door or wall outside of the resident room indicating the type of precautions, required personal protective equipment (PPE), and the high-contact resident care activities that require the use of gown and gloves. An order for enhanced barrier precautions will be obtained for residents with any of the following: Wounds and/or indwelling medical devices (e.g., central line, urinary catheter [a tube inserted into the bladder to drain urine], feeding tube, tracheostomy/ventilator) regardless of MDRO colonization status.
Resident R76's clinical record revealed an admission date of 1/12/26 with diagnoses of dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), difficulty in walking, abnormal posture and hypertension (high blood pressure). The clinical record also revealed an alert that the resident was on isolation precautions due to an eye inflammation which had been cultured with results pending.
Observations on 8/04/26, 8/05/26, and 8/06/26, revealed no educational alert signage or PPE maintained for Resident R76 at the doorway of the resident room on the memory care unit, identified as being on "contact precautions" to alert nursing staff and visitors of potential infectious exposure.
During an interview on 8/06/26, at 11:30 a.m. Licensed Practical Nurse Employee E4 confirmed the facility lacked signage for a resident with contact precautions who should have isolation precautions maintained.
28 Pa. Code 211.10(c) Resident care policies
28 Pa. Code 211.12(d)(1)(5) Nursing services
| | Plan of Correction - To be completed: 09/22/2026
The precaution signage for the identified resident was immediately placed outside the resident's room to clearly identify the required precaution and PPE prior to room entry. No adverse outcome to the resident was identified related to the missing signage. The Infection Preventionist immediately conducted a review of all residents currently requiring Transmission-Based Precautions and/or Enhanced Barrier Precautions. Each applicable resident's room was inspected to verify that appropriate precaution signage was posted, visible, current, and consistent with the needs of the resident. Any identified discrepancies were corrected immediately.
Nursing staff will be re-educated on the facility's Infection Prevention and Control/Isolation Precaution policy, including the requirement that appropriate precaution signage be posted outside the resident's room immediately upon initiation of precautions and remain in place for the duration of the precaution. Education will include verification of the type of precaution, required PPE, and the responsibility of nursing staff to notify the nurse/charge nurse or Infection Preventionist when signage is missing, inaccurate, or removed. Staff will also be reminded that precaution signage serves as an immediate visual cue to staff, physicians, ancillary personnel, and visitors regarding the precautions that must be followed prior to entering the resident's room. New signage will be created and educated with staff for use on the dementia unit to reduce the probability of signage being taken down by residents.
The Infection Preventionist or designee will conduct audits of all residents requiring Transmission-Based Precautions and/or Enhanced Barrier Precautions daily for 1 week, weekly for 4 weeks, and monthly for 2 months thereafter. Audits will verify that: Appropriate precaution signage is present and clearly visible outside the resident's room; o Signage accurately reflects the resident's current precaution status; o Required PPE is readily available; o Physician orders and care plans are consistent with the precautions in place; and o Staff appropriately follow the precautions and PPE requirements. Any identified deficiency will be corrected immediately, with re-education provided as indicated.
Audit results will be reviewed by the Infection Preventionist and reported to the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Committee. Trends or repeated concerns will be evaluated, and additional corrective actions and/or monitoring will be implemented as necessary to ensure sustained compliance.
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