Gardens of Mayfield Village: Fecal Matter in Showers - OH
The July inspection revealed systematic failures to maintain clean shower facilities across multiple floors, with dirt buildup, broken tiles, and fecal contamination creating unsanitary conditions for the facility's 74 residents.
In the 100 hall shower room, inspectors documented a sink with dirt buildup and a floor covered in dirt and debris. Tiles were cracked and broken in the corner. What appeared to be smeared bowel movement covered the toilet seat.
The second-floor blue hall shower presented similar conditions. The sink was dirty and dry, appearing unused recently. Black substance stained the shower tiles. A shower chair inside had what appeared to be dried bowel movement on it. The floor showed dirt and debris buildup, and the entire shower room appeared unused recently.
Two additional second-floor shower rooms on the locked unit and red hall showed identical patterns of neglect. Both had dirty, dry sinks that appeared unused recently. Both floors contained dirt and debris buildup. Both shower rooms appeared to have gone unused recently.
Maintenance Director #259 verified each finding during the inspection tour.
Housekeeping and Laundry Manager #253 told inspectors that shower rooms were supposed to be cleaned after each use and daily by the housekeeping department.
The most disturbing discovery occurred in the shared room of Residents #11 and #12. A privacy curtain hanging between their beds was partially draped over a portable toilet next to Resident #11's bed. The curtain had a large brown smear on it.
Resident #12 told inspectors they thought Resident #11 had an accident.
The maintenance director verified the brown smear on the curtain.
The facility's own policies contradicted the conditions inspectors found. A 2010 shower and tub bath policy required staff to ensure tubs and showers were clean, stating "If the tub or shower is not clean, clean it with the approved disinfectant."
Housekeeping guidelines specified cleaning procedures for bathrooms, including counters, sinks, mirrors, toilets, walls, and mopping floors.
A 2017 quality of life policy promised residents "a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment," defining homelike settings as having "a clean, sanitary, and orderly environment."
The inspection also found continued problems with enhanced barrier precautions, infection control measures designed to prevent transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms. The facility had an April 2024 policy requiring gowns and gloves during high-contact resident care activities involving wounds and medical devices.
This deficiency represented continued noncompliance from a previous survey completed in April 2024.
The environmental violations affected many residents, while the infection control issues affected few, according to the inspection classification. Both violations posed minimal harm or potential for actual harm.
The complaint investigation revealed a facility where basic sanitation had broken down across multiple areas. Shower rooms that should provide dignity and cleanliness for vulnerable residents instead presented health hazards and unsanitary conditions.
Four separate shower rooms showed identical patterns of neglect, suggesting systematic failure rather than isolated incidents. The dry, unused appearance of multiple facilities indicated residents may have been avoiding contaminated shower areas.
The privacy curtain violation demonstrated how sanitation failures invaded the most intimate spaces of resident care. What should have provided dignity and privacy between roommates instead became contaminated with bodily waste.
Resident #12's matter-of-fact observation that their roommate "had an accident" suggested these conditions had persisted long enough to become normalized rather than immediately addressed.
The facility's detailed policies on cleanliness and infection control stood in stark contrast to the conditions inspectors documented, revealing a gap between written procedures and actual implementation that left residents in unsanitary living conditions.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Gardens of Mayfield Village from 2024-07-02 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: August 5, 2026 · Our methodology
GARDENS OF MAYFIELD VILLAGE in MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, OH was cited for violations during a health inspection on July 2, 2024.
In the 100 hall shower room, inspectors documented a sink with dirt buildup and a floor covered in dirt and debris.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.