Cedar Ridge Inn: Unsecured Oxygen Tank Violation - NM
Inspectors documented the finding on August 26, 2025, at 10:35 in the morning. The resident, identified in the inspection report as Resident 13, was not using the oxygen at the time. The tank simply sat there.
An unsecured oxygen cylinder is not a minor housekeeping problem. If a portable tank tips and falls, the valve can shear off. When that happens, the compressed gas inside turns the cylinder into a projectile. Inspectors noted in their report that a fallen tank could self-propel across the facility, or leak residual oxygen into the room.
Cedar Ridge Inn's own oxygen safety policy, revised as recently as 2025, states that oxygen cylinders will be properly chained or supported in racks or other fastenings, whether connected, unconnected, full, or empty. The tank next to Resident 13's recliner met none of those conditions.
When inspectors spoke with the Director of Nursing that same morning, her response made the situation harder to explain, not easier. She said the portable oxygen container should not have been in Resident 13's room at all. She also confirmed that oxygen cylinders should not be stored unsecured, because it could cause an accident.
That answer raises a question the inspection report does not answer: if the Director of Nursing knew the tank was improperly placed and improperly stored, how long had it been sitting there?
The inspection covered two residents who used oxygen, Resident 13 and Resident 14. The unsecured tank was found with Resident 13. The report does not describe a problem with Resident 14's equipment.
Inspectors rated the violation as having caused minimal harm or potential for actual harm, and noted that few residents were affected. Those classifications reflect the language of the federal inspection system. They do not mean the risk was small. A compressed gas cylinder that becomes a projectile does not pause to check how many people are nearby.
The facility's own written policy existed precisely to prevent this. It was revised in 2025, the same year the tank was found sitting loose on the floor.
Resident 13 was in her recliner when inspectors observed the tank. The report does not say whether she had any mobility limitations, whether she could have moved the tank herself, or whether anyone had checked on the cylinder's position before that morning. What the report says is that the tank was there, unsecured, and that the Director of Nursing confirmed it was wrong on both counts.
Cedar Ridge Inn is a nursing facility in Farmington, in San Juan County in northwestern New Mexico. The inspection was conducted as a complaint investigation, meaning someone raised a concern that prompted regulators to send inspectors to the facility. The report does not identify who filed the complaint or what originally prompted it.
The oxygen tank finding was the violation inspectors documented.
For Resident 13, the question of what might have happened is straightforward. A tank tips. A valve breaks. The cylinder moves. She is in the recliner next to it.
The policy on the books said that was not supposed to be possible.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Cedar Ridge Inn from 2025-08-27 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: October 2, 2026 · Our methodology
Cedar Ridge Inn in Farmington, NM was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 27, 2025.
Inspectors documented the finding on August 26, 2025, at 10:35 in the morning.
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.