Stellar Care Center: Hazardous Chemicals Left Unlocked - OH
That is what inspectors found at Stellar Care Center, a nursing home on Moore Ridge Road in this small Monroe County town, during a complaint investigation completed September 30, 2025. Inside those unsecured cabinets sat a collection of chemicals that, according to their own safety data sheets, can damage eyes, inflame lungs, trigger nausea and vomiting, depress the central nervous system, and, if mixed incorrectly, release chlorine gas. Also in the cabinets: capped needles in plastic packaging.
The chemicals were not hidden or hard to reach. They were accessible, in an unlocked storage area, on a unit where staff confirmed to inspectors that all of the residents wandered.
A Licensed Practical Nurse identified in the report as LPN #8 confirmed each of those facts herself. The cabinets were left unlocked and unattended. She and the other staff on the unit were in a resident's room when the observation was made. Every resident on the unit wandered and had access to the chemicals. She confirmed all of it.
The inventory of what was sitting in those cabinets is worth reading in full: nail polish, nail polish remover, a bottle of Rx Destroyer Med Disposal — a compound used to destroy medications — a spray bottle of Clorox bleach, NOW Disinfectant wipes, Bar Keepers Friend stainless steel cleaner, Ajax Oxygen Bleach cleanser, and capped needles in plastic packaging.
Inspectors pulled the Material Safety Data Sheets for several of these products. The NOW Disinfectant Wipes sheet warned that contact with eyes, skin, and clothing should be avoided, and that the product should never contact acidic materials because hazardous chlorine gas may be released. The nail polish remover sheet noted that vapors may irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, and may cause central nervous system depression. Ingestion, it said, may cause gastrointestinal upset, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and adverse kidney and liver effects. The Clorox sheet warned of moderate eye irritation and said that inhaling high concentrations may cause irritation of the respiratory tract, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and malaise. Ajax, the sheet noted, could cause eye irritation.
These were not obscure industrial solvents stored in a locked maintenance room. They were everyday cleaning and personal care products, the kind that carry warning labels most people glance past. On a unit designed for residents who wander, left unsecured while staff were occupied elsewhere, they became something else.
The deficiency was cited under CMS tag F0689, which covers accident hazards and supervision, and was linked to three separate complaint investigations. Inspectors rated the level of harm as minimal harm or potential for actual harm, and noted that some residents were affected.
No resident was reported injured. That is the gap between what was found and what could have happened — a wandering resident reaching into an unlocked cabinet, pulling out a spray bottle of bleach or a container of medication destroyer, before anyone noticed.
LPN #8 did not dispute any of it. The cabinets were unlocked. The staff were not in the area. The residents wandered. She confirmed it at 2:49 in the afternoon on September 17, 2025, to an inspector who had already seen it herself.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Stellar Care Center from 2025-09-30 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 26, 2026 · Our methodology
STELLAR CARE CENTER in WOODSFIELD, OH was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 30, 2025.
Also in the cabinets: capped needles in plastic packaging.
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.