Grove at Kirkwood: Unplugged Medication Fridge - MO
Federal inspectors found the unplugged mini refrigerator in a medication storage room at 6:45 a.m. during a January complaint investigation. Three minutes later, Licensed Practical Nurse RRR entered the room and plugged it back in. The temperature gauge showed 65 degrees and displayed a high temperature alarm.
Over the next half hour, inspectors watched the refrigerator struggle to cool down. At 7:06 a.m., it still registered 62 degrees with alarms sounding. The temperature dropped to 56 degrees by 7:14 a.m., but alarms continued blaring intermittently as the unit tried to recover.
Staff had failed to check the refrigerator's temperature for days. Temperature logs for the wing showed no staff member verified the refrigerator from several days before the inspection through the day inspectors arrived.
Certified Medication Technician SSS told inspectors checking the refrigerator was supposed to be a night shift responsibility. LPN RRR, who arrived at 3:00 a.m. with no other nurse present, admitted not confirming whether anyone had checked the refrigerator and said he was unfamiliar with facility policy.
Director of Nursing C acknowledged the medication storage failures had contaminated the supply. "Everything needs to be pulled from the refrigerator and reordered," she said.
Inspectors found additional medication storage violations throughout the facility. Medication carts contained insulin pens with handwritten names instead of proper patient labels, topical creams without open dates, and loose pills without identification.
One cart held 24 expired urine tubes in a biohazard bag and unlabeled allergy medication. Another contained half a pill left in a pill cutter.
The director of nursing confirmed insulin pens should carry patient labels, not handwritten names on caps, and that nurses are responsible for properly disposing of medications when residents are discharged.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Grove At Kirkwood, The from 2026-01-29 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 15, 2026 · Our methodology
GROVE AT KIRKWOOD, THE in KIRKWOOD, MO was cited for violations during a health inspection on January 29, 2026.
Federal inspectors found the unplugged mini refrigerator in a medication storage room at 6:45 a.m.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened at GROVE AT KIRKWOOD, THE?
- Federal inspectors found the unplugged mini refrigerator in a medication storage room at 6:45 a.m.
- How serious are these violations?
- Violation severity varies from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the inspection report for specific deficiency codes and scope. All violations must be corrected within required timeframes and are subject to follow-up verification inspections.
- What should families do?
- Families should: (1) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (2) Request to see the follow-up inspection report verifying corrections, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspection reports, (4) Compare this facility's ratings with other nursing homes in KIRKWOOD, MO, (5) Report any new concerns directly to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- The complete inspection report is available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request a copy directly from GROVE AT KIRKWOOD, THE or from the state Department of Health. The report includes specific deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines. This facility's federal provider number is 265833.
- Has this facility had violations before?
- To check GROVE AT KIRKWOOD, THE's history, visit Medicare.gov's Care Compare and review their inspection history, quality ratings, and staffing levels. Look for patterns of repeated violations, especially in critical areas like abuse prevention, medication management, infection control, and resident safety.