EL MONTE, CA - A vulnerable nursing home resident required emergency treatment and seven stitches after being injured by a broken bed remote control at Sunset Manor Convalescent Hospital, highlighting significant safety lapses in equipment maintenance and resident protection protocols.
Serious Safety Equipment Failure Led to Emergency Hospitalization
The incident occurred on December 17, 2024, when a resident with severe cognitive impairment and diabetes sustained a deep laceration on their right hand while being repositioned by a nursing assistant. The resident, who was non-verbal and completely dependent on staff for daily activities, grabbed onto what appeared to be a bed rail during routine care but was actually the damaged control cord for the bed's remote system.
The broken equipment had a sharp plastic edge protruding from the outer covering where the hard plastic had peeled away, exposing internal wiring. The 2-centimeter deep wound required immediate transfer to a general acute care hospital, where emergency physicians closed the laceration with seven stitches between the thumb and index finger, plus an additional stitch at the base of the index finger for skin tear damage.
Maintenance Failures Created Preventable Hazard
Investigation revealed that the facility had no routine inspection protocol for bed remote controls, despite their widespread use throughout the facility. The Maintenance Assistant confirmed that checking bed remote controls was not part of standard maintenance procedures until after this injury occurred.
According to the maintenance staff member, "If the Maintenance Department performed a routine check and found the broken bed control coil line earlier, Resident 1's injury could have been prevented." The investigation found blood stains on the damaged equipment, confirming it was the source of the resident's injury.
This represents a fundamental breakdown in preventive maintenance protocols. Nursing homes are required to maintain all equipment in safe operating condition, particularly devices that residents interact with regularly. Bed controls are essential medical equipment that should undergo regular safety inspections.
Medical Vulnerabilities Amplified Risk
The injured resident faced multiple medical conditions that significantly increased their vulnerability to complications from wounds. With Type II diabetes, heart failure, and respiratory failure, any injury poses heightened risks due to compromised healing ability and reduced circulation.
Diabetic patients experience slower wound healing and increased infection risk due to elevated blood sugar levels and reduced immune response. The location of this particular wound - on the dominant hand between critical digits - could have resulted in permanent functional impairment or serious infection requiring amputation if not promptly treated.
The resident's complete cognitive impairment meant they could not communicate pain, discomfort, or recognize dangerous equipment. This makes routine environmental safety checks absolutely critical for protecting vulnerable residents who cannot advocate for themselves.
Systemic Oversight Breakdown
The facility's own policies required maintaining a "safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment" and implementing preventive maintenance programs to ensure equipment remains in "safe and operable manner." However, these policies were not effectively executed.
The Director of Nursing acknowledged that the injury could have been prevented if the facility had properly maintained its equipment. The nursing assistant involved in the incident was subsequently terminated, though the systemic maintenance failures that created the hazardous condition remained the primary contributing factor.
Industry standards require nursing homes to conduct regular equipment inspections, maintain detailed maintenance logs, and immediately remove or repair any damaged devices that could pose safety risks. The absence of routine bed control inspections represents a significant gap in resident protection protocols.
Additional Issues Identified
Beyond the equipment maintenance failure, inspectors documented concerns about the facility's overall safety environment protocols. The investigation revealed gaps in staff training regarding equipment safety recognition and inadequate preventive maintenance scheduling for resident-contact devices.
The facility lacked systematic procedures for identifying and addressing equipment hazards before they could cause resident injuries. This incident highlighted the need for comprehensive equipment safety audits and enhanced staff training on recognizing environmental hazards.
The regulatory violation was classified as causing "actual harm" to residents, reflecting the serious nature of the preventable injury and the potential for similar incidents with other residents exposed to inadequately maintained equipment throughout the facility.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Sunset Manor Conv Hosp from 2025-01-03 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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