SEO_DESCRIPTION: Fort Wayne nursing home failed infection control protocols during medical procedures, creating contamination risks for vulnerable residents.
OG_TITLE: Nursing Home Staff Skip Hand Hygiene During Medical Care in Fort Wayne
OG_DESCRIPTION: Federal inspectors found multiple infection control violations at Aperion Care University Park, including contaminated medical equipment and improper hygiene practices during resident care procedures.
FB_POST: Fort Wayne nursing home cited for infection control failures during medical procedures
ARTICLE:
Aperion Care University Park: Infection Control Failures - IN
FORT WAYNE, IN - Federal inspectors cited Aperion Care University Park for multiple infection prevention and control violations that put residents at risk of communicable diseases and infections.
Critical Infection Control Lapses During Medical Procedures
The April 2025 inspection revealed serious breaches in infection control protocols by nursing staff during routine medical care. Inspectors observed a licensed practical nurse (LPN) placing contaminated medical equipment directly onto medication carts without proper disinfection.
During one observation, the nurse placed her laptop on a resident's mattress while taking a blood glucose measurement. When the resident's foot contacted the laptop, the nurse then placed both the contaminated laptop and glucometer on the medication cart without disinfecting either device.
The same nurse was observed giving an intramuscular injection while wearing gloves, but failed to perform hand hygiene after removing the gloves before touching the medication cart. This violation occurred despite facility policies requiring hand hygiene before and after all resident contact.
Medical Equipment Contamination Risks
Blood glucose meters require strict disinfection protocols between patients to prevent cross-contamination. The facility's own policy mandates that glucose meters be cleaned and disinfected between resident use with approved disinfectants, allowing proper contact time before storage.
Cross-contamination through shared medical devices can transmit bloodborne pathogens and other infectious agents between residents. Nursing home residents often have compromised immune systems, making them particularly vulnerable to healthcare-associated infections.
Hand Hygiene Protocol Failures
Inspectors documented a third violation when the LPN failed to perform hand hygiene before handling the ice scoop after touching medications and the cart. The nurse took a water pitcher from the cart to an ice chest and scooped ice without cleaning her hands first.
Hand hygiene represents the most fundamental infection prevention measure in healthcare settings. The facility's policies clearly state that staff must use alcohol-based hand rub before and after direct resident contact, before handling medications, after removing gloves, and before handling food.
The Director of Nursing confirmed during interviews that proper protocols were not followed, stating that "the laptop should not have been on the bed with a resident" and that glucose meters should be wiped down with disinfectant wipes before storage.
Facility-Wide Environmental Cleanliness Issues
Beyond medical procedure violations, inspectors found significant environmental cleanliness problems affecting air quality throughout the facility. Multiple air vents across all three units showed extensive dust and debris accumulation.
Air vents above nursing stations and in resident hallways were covered with "grey clumps too numerous to count." When maintenance staff opened one return air duct cover during the inspection, accumulated debris fell onto the nurses' station counter and floor.
The filter in the examined duct, dated March 26, 2025, showed heavy dust accumulation despite the facility's policy requiring monthly filter changes and vent cleaning. The maintenance director acknowledged that filters were changed monthly but confirmed the cleaning schedule was not being followed effectively.
Impact on Vulnerable Population
These violations are particularly concerning given nursing home residents' heightened susceptibility to infections. Many residents have chronic conditions, weakened immune systems, or other factors that increase their risk of complications from healthcare-associated infections.
Proper infection control practices are essential safeguards that protect residents from preventable illnesses. When staff fail to follow basic hygiene protocols during medical procedures, they create unnecessary exposure risks for people who may not be able to recover easily from infections.
Regulatory Standards and Expectations
Federal regulations require nursing homes to maintain comprehensive infection prevention and control programs. These programs must include proper hand hygiene, equipment disinfection, and environmental cleanliness protocols.
The facility's written policies demonstrated awareness of proper procedures, including detailed requirements for blood glucose meter disinfection, hand hygiene timing, and monthly air vent cleaning. However, implementation and supervision of these policies clearly fell short of standards.
Quality Assurance Program Gaps
The inspection also revealed deficiencies in the facility's Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAPI). The current program did not include performance improvement plans addressing the kitchen labeling issues and waste management problems identified in previous surveys.
The administrator indicated that after six months of monitoring previous concerns, the quality assurance team moved on to other areas without ensuring sustained compliance. This approach conflicts with QAPI requirements for ongoing monitoring and sustained improvements.
Effective quality assurance programs should identify patterns of non-compliance and implement systematic monitoring to prevent recurring violations. The gaps in oversight may have contributed to the persistence of infection control problems.
Conclusion
The violations at Aperion Care University Park highlight the critical importance of consistent infection control practices in nursing home settings. While the facility had appropriate policies in place, the failure to implement and monitor these protocols created unnecessary risks for residents requiring medical care.
The combination of medical procedure violations and environmental cleanliness issues suggests systemic problems with staff training, supervision, and quality assurance oversight that require comprehensive corrective action.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Aperion Care University Park from 2025-04-11 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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