St. Margaret's Daughters: Insecticide in Rooms - LA
The discovery at St. Margaret's Daughters Home came during a federal inspection that also found staff ignoring fall prevention plans, leading to a witnessed fall when a nursing assistant attempted a two-person transfer alone.
Inspectors found the insecticide cans in Resident 75's room on August 18. The next day, a Licensed Practical Nurse picked up the containers and moved them to the resident's closet, telling investigators she had no idea the chemicals were there.
The administrator confirmed Resident 75 should not have had aerosolized insecticide in her room.
Meanwhile, Resident 72's care plan explicitly required two staff members for all transfers after she was admitted with a history of falling. The plan, initiated and revised on August 19, specified she needed maximal assistance and two-person transfers.
Three days earlier, on August 17, Resident 72 had suffered a witnessed fall with no injury.
Despite the clear care plan requirements, Certified Nursing Assistant S14 attempted to transfer Resident 72 from bed to wheelchair without assistance on August 20. The solo transfer attempt resulted in another witnessed fall.
The Director of Nursing confirmed Resident 72 was care planned to have two staff assist for transfers. She acknowledged the fall care plan was not implemented when the nursing assistant attempted the transfer without assistance.
The facility's own Accidents/Incidents Policy, last revised in 2002, requires the charge nurse or nursing supervisor to initiate care plan changes to ensure resident welfare and safety before the end of their shift.
The violations occurred despite Resident 72's documented fall risk and recent fall history. Her Activities of Daily Living care plan clearly stated she required maximal assistance and two-person transfers.
The insecticide storage violation and ignored fall prevention protocols highlight broader safety concerns at the facility. Federal inspectors classified both incidents as having minimal harm or potential for actual harm, but the violations affected multiple residents.
The nursing assistant's decision to ignore the two-person transfer requirement directly contradicted established safety protocols designed to prevent falls among high-risk residents. The incident occurred just three days after Resident 72's previous fall and two days after her care plan was revised to emphasize transfer safety requirements.
Staff training gaps appear evident in both violations. The Licensed Practical Nurse's unawareness of dangerous chemicals in a resident's room raises questions about room inspections and hazard identification protocols.
The facility has not provided information about disciplinary actions taken against the nursing assistant who violated the transfer protocol or steps to prevent similar incidents.
Federal regulations require nursing homes to maintain environments free from accident hazards and to follow individualized care plans to prevent resident harm. The St. Margaret's Daughters violations demonstrate failures in both areas during the August inspection.
The timing of events suggests systemic issues with care plan implementation and staff supervision. Resident 72's fall occurred one day after her care plan was revised to emphasize two-person transfer requirements, indicating the updated protocols were not effectively communicated or enforced.
Both violations occurred within a three-day period, suggesting broader compliance issues during the inspection timeframe. The insecticide remained in Resident 75's room for at least one full day before staff discovered and relocated it to her closet rather than removing it entirely from resident areas.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for St. Margaret's Daughters Home from 2025-08-20 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: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
St. Margaret's Daughters Home in NEW ORLEANS, LA was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 20, 2025.
Inspectors found the insecticide cans in Resident 75's room on August 18.
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.