The resident, identified as R5 in inspection records, had been admitted November 21 following a stroke that affected both sides of his brain and a heart attack requiring bypass surgery. Inspectors discovered five separate areas of fecal matter smeared on the floor between two beds in his room on November 22 at 11:51 AM.
Nine minutes later, inspectors watched as housekeeping worker V3 entered the room to clean, including sweeping and mopping the floor. When inspectors returned at 12:00 PM, all five areas of fecal matter remained smeared on the floor in exactly the same locations.
The housekeeping worker told inspectors at 12:10 PM that she had swept and mopped the room. Administrator V1 acknowledged eight minutes later that her expectations were for housekeeping staff to clean resident rooms according to facility policy, including removing fecal matter from floors.
Two days later, the contamination persisted. When inspectors returned November 24 at 11:15 AM, they found fecal matter still smeared on the floor in the same area between the two beds.
The resident, who inspectors noted was alert and oriented, told them he had been at the facility for a few days. He said the facility "does not clean very well and does not clean his room daily."
Effingham Healthcare's own policy, revised in February 2021, requires staff to provide residents with "a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment." The policy specifically mandates that facility characteristics include "a clean, sanitary and orderly environment."
The 62-year-old facility at 1610 North Lakewood Drive houses residents requiring various levels of care. The inspection was conducted in response to a complaint, though the nature of that complaint was not detailed in available records.
Federal regulations require nursing homes to maintain sanitary conditions and provide a homelike environment for residents. The violation was classified as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm to residents.
The discovery represents a basic failure of infection control in a setting housing vulnerable residents recovering from serious medical conditions. R5's medical history included not only the recent stroke affecting bilateral cerebellar arteries but also an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, one of the most severe types of heart attacks.
Inspectors documented their findings across multiple days, creating a timeline that showed the persistent nature of the sanitation failure. The fact that housekeeping staff reported completing cleaning while contamination remained visible suggested either inadequate training or insufficient oversight of cleaning procedures.
The resident's own observation about daily room cleaning aligned with what inspectors witnessed. His comment that "the facility does not clean very well" came from someone experiencing the care firsthand during a vulnerable period of recovery from life-threatening medical events.
The administrator's acknowledgment that removing fecal matter fell within expected housekeeping duties highlighted the gap between stated expectations and actual performance. Her statement came only after inspectors had documented the cleaning failure and questioned staff about it.
The violation occurred in a shared room, meaning another resident was also exposed to the unsanitary conditions. Inspection records did not detail whether the roommate had any health conditions that might make exposure to fecal contamination particularly dangerous.
Federal inspectors classified the deficiency under regulations governing residents' rights to safe, clean, and comfortable living environments. The finding specifically cited the facility's failure to keep resident rooms clean for one of three residents reviewed for homelike environment standards.
The timeline of events showed a systematic breakdown in basic housekeeping protocols. From the initial discovery on November 22 through the follow-up inspection on November 24, the contamination remained despite direct intervention and administrative awareness.
Effingham Healthcare must submit a plan of correction to continue participating in federal healthcare programs. The facility has 14 days from when these findings are made available to develop and implement corrective measures addressing the sanitation failures.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Effingham Healthcare & Senior Living from 2025-11-26 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
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