IRF and OT kitchen appliances

[Guest guest]

Appreciate any feedback!

In the midst of preparations for an expected state (Virginia) and/or

JC survey, our Clinical Engineering department has asked us about our

OT kitchen appliances. There have never been any preventative

maintenance checks done on these. And it's never come up--we've

always had our clinical equipment checked of course.

Now, however, the concern has been raised that these are not

permitted due to the risk of electrical leakage that could affect

pacemakers and other medical equipment. We do not have commercial-

grade equipment, but rather the kind of appliances that any consumer

could buy.

Since a functioning kitchen is so important to occupational therapy,

when asked if we would readily assent to disconnecting everything, of

course we didn't. I did agree to solicit feedback from other

organizations.

1. Do you have functioning appliances that are used by patients?

2. Are these consumer- or commercial-grade?

3. Are you aware of IRF-specific regs on this subject that you could

direct me to?

Dan Gaskell

Carilion Clinic Rehab Services

Roanoke, VA