Rule/Regulation Violated:
F. When medication is stored by an assisted living facility, a manager shall ensure that:
1. Medication is stored in a separate locked room, closet, cabinet, or self-contained unit used only for medication storage;
Evidence/Findings:
Based on observation and interview, the manager failed to ensure medications stored by the facility were stored in a separate locked room, closet, cabinet, or self-contained unit. The deficient practice posed a risk to residents who could access the medication.
Findings include:
1. The Compliance Officer observed, upon arrival to the facility, the medication cabinet in the kitchen was unlocked. The Compliance Officer observed the unlocked cabinet contained seven residents' medications. The cabinet had a locking device, however the locking device was broken.
2. The Compliance Officer observed E3 to be the only personnel member at the facility when the Compliance Officer arrived, E3 was not accessing the medications at the time of arrival, and E3 left the immediate area multiple times, leaving the cabinet unlocked.
3. In an interview, E2 acknowledged medications were stored unlocked.
Summary:
The following deficiency was found during the compliance inspection and investigation of complaint #AZ00193453 conducted on June 22, 2023: