By: Jeannine LeCompte
An injury caused by a dropped ice cube in a Nebraska long-term care facility has highlighted the need for facilities to adhere to legal compliance guidelines. The incident occurred when a visitor—a granddaughter of one of the residents—slipped and fell in water located in the hall of the facility. It is believed that the water originated with a water pass during which ice cubes were dropped—and were not immediately cleaned up. This was not the first time there had been a water spillage of this nature in the facility, and the staff had failed on a number of previous occasions to address such lapses.
An injury caused by a dropped ice cube in a Nebraska long-term care facility has highlighted the need for facilities to adhere to legal compliance guidelines. The incident occurred when a visitor—a granddaughter of one of the residents—slipped and fell in water located in the hall of the facility. It is believed that the water originated with a water pass during which ice cubes were dropped—and were not immediately cleaned up. This was not the first time there had been a water spillage of this nature in the facility, and the staff had failed on a number of previous occasions to address such lapses.
Facilities are to “provide a safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable environment for residents, staff, and the public.” The facility implemented the following remedial steps:
- Devise an education course for all staff during which they are made aware of the legal implications for themselves and the facility should they fail to adhere strictly to regulations;
- Ensure that nurse aides understand they should mop up spills and put out “wet floor” signs;
- The administrator will visit with the family to identify other concerns raised by the granddaughter, especially those regarding her worry that her grandmother would be singled out for mistreatment following the complaint;
- Overview the entire water pass process and evaluate the possibility of purchasing new mugs to allow exchange of mugs each shift, or even the filling of the mugs in the kitchen (instead of exchanging/filling in the hallway).
In addition, the staff should consider documented daily audits on safety issues—conducted at random times, and others coinciding with water passes in particular. Conducting a safety audit should help identify potential hazards, and the necessity for staff training in any particular area—with emphasis on the fact that failure to adhere to regulations will be a disciplinary issue.
