Every finding on record at Professional Home Health Care

An on-site Recertification and Complaint Survey initiated on 04/14/2025 and concluded on 04/16/2025, resulted in a finding of no deficiency citations respective to the Emergency Preparedness Program Condition of Participation under 42 CFR 484.102.

An on-site Recertification and Complaint Survey initiated on 04/14/2025 and concluded on 04/16/2025, resulted in a finding of substantial compliance respective to the applicable Conditions of Participation (CoPs) under 42 CFR 484, Subparts A through C with the following standard-level deficiencies listed below. No deficiencies were issued related to KY32586.

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 observation, interview, and facility policy review, the agency failed to follow its infection prevention process related to bag technique (an infection prevention procedure used to prevent cross contamination when an agency bag that contained multi-use equipment was carried into multiple patients’ homes) for 1 (Patient #1) of 7 patients observed during home visits. This failure had the potential to spread germs or infectious disease among the agency’s patients. Findings included: An agency policy titled, “Infection Control - Bag Technique,” with a copyright date of 2014, revealed a “Procedure” section that directed staff, in part, to “1. Place the bag in a clean place when entering patient’s home. 2. Perform hand hygiene. 3. Open clean part of bag and remove needed items from bag. 4. Place items on a clean surface or on a barrier, such as a poly-backed towel. 5. Close the bag. 6. Provide patient care. 7. Disinfect reusable items before returning them to the bag as necessary: a. Wipe diaphragm of stethoscope with an alcohol pad. b. Wipe BP [blood pressure] cuff with disinfectant.” An observation on 04/15/2025 at 11:00 AM revealed Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) #7 placed a clipboard with a storage case on Patient #1’s kitchen table. The observation revealed a blood pressure cuff was wrapped around the PTA #7’s wrist upon entering the home. The observation revealed PTA #7 removed the blood pressure cuff from their own wrist, wrapped it around Patient #1’s wrist without first disinfecting it, and, after providing therapy and taking the patient’s blood pressure, PTA #7 placed the blood pressure cuff back on their own wrist without disinfecting it. The observation revealed PTA #7 then opened the storage case of the clipboard where there were two bleach wipes on top of a goniometer (an instrument used to measure the angle of a knee’s range of motion) and a pen. The observation revealed that, upon completion of therapy services using the goniometer, PTA #7 removed one of the bleach wipes and wiped the goniometer. Per the observation, PTA #7 placed the goniometer back into the clipboard case and placed the used bleach wipe on top of the goniometer. PTA #7 then wrote a clinical note, had Patient #1 sign the document, removed the second bleach wipe from the clipboard storage case, wiped the pen down, and placed the used wipe back into the case on top of the pen. During an interview on 04/15/2025 at 11:45 PM, PTA #7 confirmed that after cleaning the two pieces of equipment, she placed a soiled bleach wipe on top of clean equipment, that this was her standard practice, and that she would develop a new process so that clean equipment was not contaminated. During an interview on 04/16/2025 at 2:45 PM, the Administrator stated that all clinicians were provided with a clinician’s bag for homecare visits and were trained in proper bag technique. The Administrator stated clinicians should not place soiled wipes on top of clean equipment.