Every finding on record at Firstcare Home Health of Eastern Nebraska, Inc.

Firstcare Home Health of Eastern Nebraska is in compliance with the requirements of 42 CFR 484.102 Condition of Participation for Home Health Agencies.

Infection Prevention CFR(s): 484.70(a) Standard: Infection Prevention. The HHA must follow accepted standards of practice, including the use of standard precautions, to prevent the transmission of infections and communicable diseases. This STANDARD is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, policy and procedure review, observation of provision of care, and staff interview, the agency staff failed to ensure 1 of 3 staff members (Staff C), observed during the provision of care to Patient 1, performed hand hygiene and glove use in accordance with agency policies and procedures. The total sample size was 7. The census was 40. Findings are: A. Review of the agency's policy and procedure, titled, Infection Control / Universal Precautions, no date indicated, revealed: 1. Staff will follow Infection Control/Universal Precautions Guidelines when providing patient care. 2. Hands are to be washed after removing gloves and prior to putting on new gloves. 3. Gloves do not take the place of handwashing. B. Review of clinical records revealed, Patient 1’s Home Health Certification and Plan of Care (POC), for the certification period 2/11/24 through 4/10/24 and 4/11/24 through 6/9/24, included orders for Home Health Aide (HHA) visits 3 times daily and 6 as needed (PRN) visits, to assist with personal cares, toileting, incontinence cares, and transfers. C. The observation of the provision of care to Patient 1 on 5/7/24 at 9:10 AM, revealed Staff C failed to: 1. Sanitize hands after removing gloves, after emptying urine from a drainage bag (a bag that is attached to a tube inside the bladder, to collect urine), and prior to putting on new gloves. 2. Sanitize hands after removing gloves, after cleaning stool from the patient’s anal area, and prior to putting on new gloves. 3. Sanitize hands after removing gloves, after applying a clean dressing to an open wound on the patient’s buttock, and prior to putting on new gloves. 4. Sanitize hands after removing gloves, after dressing the patient’s upper body and providing suprapubic catheter (a tube that is placed in an opening through the abdomen, into the bladder, to drain urine) care, and prior to putting on new gloves. 5. Sanitize hands after removing gloves, after providing perineal care, and prior to putting on new gloves. 6. Sanitize hands after removing gloves, after dressing the patient’s lower body. 7. Sanitize hands prior to putting on new gloves, to make the patient’s bed, and after removing gloves. D. During an interview on 5/9/24 at 9:45 AM, the Clinical Director confirmed Staff C failed to follow the agency’s policy and procedure for appropriate hand hygiene and glove use during the provision of care to Patient 1.