ARC at Cincinnati: Respiratory Equipment Left Exposed - OH
Inspectors cited the facility following a complaint inspection completed December 23, 2025, documenting that respiratory equipment for at least two residents was repeatedly left exposed and unsanitary over the course of a week, despite every staff member interviewed knowing it should have been stored properly.
Resident #06 relies on a nebulizer to receive albuterol sulfate four times a day and sodium chloride twice daily, treatments tied to a respiratory condition serious enough to require medication around the clock. Inspectors observed the nebulizer machine sitting on the resident's over-the-bed table, the medication canister and connectors lying loose on top, on five separate occasions: December 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. No bag. No cover. Just equipment that goes into a person's airway, sitting open in a nursing home room.
When inspectors spoke with Licensed Practical Nurse #02 on December 19, she said she knew the equipment should be in a plastic bag. She said there was no bag in the room. She said she had meant to get one but got busy and forgot.
The Director of Nursing said the nurses should have covered the equipment and should not have left it sitting on the table. The administrator said she expected it to be stored properly.
Nobody had made sure it was.
The second resident, #37, was admitted to the facility in June 2023 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and moderate persistent asthma. A recent cognitive assessment placed the resident in the severe impairment range, with a BIMS score of seven, meaning the resident could not be expected to notice or correct the problem independently. The care plan, in place since July 2024, specifically flagged the resident's altered respiratory status and documented daily reliance on a CPAP machine.
Inspectors found the CPAP mask lying on the resident's dresser, uncovered and unbagged, on December 15, December 20, and December 21. Three separate visits. The same mask. The same dresser. No bag.
A nursing aide, CNA #29, told inspectors on December 21 that he just placed CPAP masks on top of the dresser when they were not in use. That was how he handled it. Another aide, CNA #31, said the next day that masks were supposed to be stored in a plastic bag. LPN #10 said the same thing.
The Director of Nursing, interviewed December 22, said the facility did not have a written policy for CPAP mask storage. She said she still expected staff to use a bag and not leave masks on dressers or in drawers. The administrator said the same: she expected bags.
What inspectors found was a gap between what leadership expected and what was actually happening in the rooms, repeated across multiple days, multiple staff members, and two residents whose lungs were already compromised.
Respiratory equipment left uncovered in a nursing home room collects airborne particles, dust, and whatever else circulates through a shared facility environment. For residents with COPD, asthma, and sleep apnea, that equipment is not optional. It goes over the face. It delivers air directly into the airway. Contamination of that equipment is not a paperwork problem.
The inspection classified the violations at a level of minimal harm or potential for actual harm. The deficiency affected some residents.
Resident #37, with severe cognitive impairment and a respiratory history spanning COPD, asthma, congestive heart failure, and a smoking history, depended on staff to handle that equipment correctly. The care plan said so. The aides knew the standard. The nurses knew it. The administrator and the Director of Nursing both knew it.
For at least a week, across five documented observations for one resident and three for another, knowing was not enough.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Arc At Cincinnati from 2025-12-23 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 21, 2026 · Our methodology
ARC AT CINCINNATI in CINCINNATI, OH was cited for violations during a health inspection on December 23, 2025.
Just equipment that goes into a person's airway, sitting open in a nursing home room.
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.