Fair Oaks Health & Rehab: Medication Cart Left Unsecured - VA
Inspectors observed the nurse, identified in the report as RN #1, at 8:28 a.m. on October 7, 2025. He told inspectors he only works a few shifts a month at Fair Oaks Health & Rehabilitation and was not familiar with the residents or where medications were kept on that particular cart. After several minutes of searching, he locked the cart, tucked the keys under a towel on top of it, and went downstairs to the emergency medication supply machine. He returned at 8:35 a.m., retrieved the keys from under the towel, and kept searching. Three minutes later, he couldn't find another medication. He locked the cart again, put the keys back under the towel, and left for the first floor a second time.
At 8:40 a.m., two residents walked past the cart as they carried their breakfast trays back to the meal cart.
RN #1 returned at 8:46 a.m. When inspectors spoke with him at 8:51 a.m., he acknowledged the cart was not totally secure because the keys had been sitting on top of it.
The unit manager, a licensed practical nurse, told inspectors the next morning that the rule is straightforward: if a nurse leaves a medication cart for any reason, the keys go in the nurse's pocket. She noted the cart is full of medications, including narcotics.
The administrator, the director of nursing, and a regional director of clinical operations were informed of the findings that same morning.
RN #1 had said at the outset he wasn't familiar with where things were kept on that cart. The keys were under a towel.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Fair Oaks Health & Rehabilitation from 2025-10-08 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Download the official CMS inspection PDF from Medicare.gov
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: September 23, 2026 · Our methodology
FAIR OAKS HEALTH & REHABILITATION in FAIRFAX, VA was cited for violations during a health inspection on October 8, 2025.
Inspectors observed the nurse, identified in the report as RN #1, at 8:28 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.