F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
D

Inadequate Nursing Staff and Missed Showers

Southern Ocean CenterManahawkin, New Jersey Survey Completed on 05-02-2024

Summary

The facility failed to ensure there was sufficient nursing staff on a 24-hour basis to provide nursing care to the residents. This deficiency was evidenced by multiple instances of inadequate Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) staffing across several weeks, as documented in the Nurse Staffing Report. For example, during the week of 10/02/2022 to 10/08/2022, the facility was deficient in CNA staffing for residents on all seven day shifts, with the number of CNAs ranging from 6 to 10, while at least 14 were required. Similar deficiencies were noted in subsequent weeks, with the facility consistently failing to meet the required number of CNAs on both day and evening shifts across multiple months, including October, November, December, and January, as well as in the weeks leading up to the survey in April 2024. During a Resident Council meeting, four out of six residents reported that they did not receive showers twice weekly as scheduled due to staffing issues. The surveyor's review of the bathing task lists for several residents corroborated these claims. For instance, Resident #21's task list was blank for the first 22 days of April, indicating that care was not rendered, and the resident only received baths on four days. Similarly, Resident #94 received a bath on only six out of 30 days, and Resident #84 had only one documented shower for the entire month of April. Resident #122's task list showed missed showers on three scheduled days. Interviews with CNAs and the Director of Nursing (DON) further highlighted the staffing issues. CNA #1 confirmed that shower schedules were in the assignment book, but staffing shortages often prevented showers from being completed. CNA #3 mentioned that short staffing affected all shifts, leading to missed showers or the need to offer bed baths instead. The DON acknowledged the staffing deficiencies and stated that if care is not documented, it is considered not done. The facility's failure to meet the required staffing levels and provide scheduled showers as per residents' care plans constitutes a significant deficiency in ensuring adequate care for its residents.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

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See other F0725 citations
Insufficient Nursing Staff Leading to Delayed Care, Poor Hygiene, and Unmet Toileting Needs
E
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

The facility failed to maintain sufficient nursing staff to meet residents’ assessed needs, resulting in repeated reports of long call light response times, delayed or missed toileting assistance, and inadequate hygiene. Multiple residents described waiting hours for help to use the bedpan or be put to bed, being left in soiled briefs or on bedpans for extended periods, and having to seek staff in hallways or involve family to get assistance. Some residents reported being left in urine and feces for many hours, experiencing skin irritation and rashes, and not receiving proper washing before creams were applied. Others reported not being gotten out of bed, being left in the dining room after meals, not being set up for meals in bed, and having poor oral care, unchanged linens, and unclean skin and nails. Resident Council minutes, confidential group interviews, and grievances consistently documented these staffing-related care failures over multiple months, and facility leadership acknowledged that nursing staff levels were insufficient to provide required nursing and related services.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient Weekend and Night Staffing Leading to Missed and Delayed Resident Care
E
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

The facility failed to provide sufficient nursing staff, especially on weekends and during evening/night shifts, resulting in missed and delayed care. Confirmed grievances included a resident not receiving overnight incontinence care and being found wet in the morning, a resident’s catheter bag filling to 2,000 mL before being emptied, long call‑light response times, rushed CNA care, and delays in getting residents out of bed when two‑person assistance was needed. Staffing schedules showed consistently lower staffing hours on weekends despite a stable census, and residents who usually ate in an independent dining room were moved to an assisted dining room on weekends due to lack of supervision, corroborated by a posted weekend closure notice. Residents, family members, and staff all reported that low staffing on weekends and certain night‑shift hours led to longer waits for assistance and unavailability of staff when needed.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Persistent Weekend Understaffing Below Facility-Defined Minimums
F
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

The facility failed to maintain sufficient weekend nursing staff to meet residents’ basic and individual needs, as defined in its facility assessment. The assessment set minimum/optimal staffing for day and evening shifts at two licensed nurses, two CMAs, and four CNAs, and for nights at two licensed nurses and two CNAs, with weekend requirements matching weekdays. CMS PBJ CASPER data showed excessively low weekend staffing, and schedule reviews over several months revealed that all or most weekends were staffed below these minimums. An LN and administrative staff confirmed that weekends were expected to be staffed the same as weekdays but were difficult to cover due to frequent call-ins, despite having an on-call list and occasional management coverage.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient Nursing Staff Leading to Delayed Medications and Care
F
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

The facility failed to provide adequate nursing staff coverage, resulting in one nurse and sometimes no aide in a Villa, or one nurse and one aide shared between two separate Villas. Staff reported being unable to complete required care, including meal preparation, transfers requiring two staff, cleaning, and timely medication passes, when working short. Multiple residents with diabetes, pain, mobility limitations, and mechanical lift needs described long waits for call lights, toileting, transfers, and bedtimes, and consistently late medications, especially insulin and pain medications, when staff were covering more than one Villa or when no staff were present in a Villa for extended periods. MAR reviews confirmed repeated late administration of ordered insulin doses for several residents, correlating with the documented staffing shortages and split assignments between Villas.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Maintain Sufficient CNA Staffing and Timely Call-Light Response
F
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

A facility failed to maintain sufficient CNA staffing and timely call-light response when two scheduled CNAs, both from a registry, were unavailable for an evening shift and no replacements were secured. A resident with bowel incontinence and dependence for toileting activated the call light after becoming soiled and reportedly waited about two hours before an unassigned CNA responded, finding the resident crying, soiled, and with red skin. Staffing records showed one CNA called off and another left early without returning or clocking in/out, and there was no documentation of reassigned CNA coverage for the affected rooms. Staff interviews described unanswered call lights and reliance on registry staff, while facility policies required sufficient and competent staffing, call-light response within 3–5 minutes, adherence to protocols by registry staff, and treatment of residents with dignity and respect.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Inadequate Nurse and CNA Staffing Leading to Delayed Medications and Care
E
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

The facility failed to maintain adequate nurse and CNA staffing on multiple floors and shifts, resulting in delayed medication administration and delayed response to resident care needs. On several day and evening shifts, only one nurse or fewer nurses than scheduled were present at the start of the shift, causing 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM medications to be given outside the expected time windows. A resident with multiple comorbidities and intact cognition reported frequently receiving medications, including Gabapentin for leg pain, several hours late and described significant pain when doses were delayed. On high-census shifts, CNAs were assigned to care for 19–25 residents each, including many requiring total care and mechanical lifts, leading staff to prioritize basic rounds, incontinence care, call lights, and feeding while other tasks such as grooming, getting residents out of bed, and timely changes were not consistently completed. Staff, including the DON and an advanced practice nurse, acknowledged that these staffing levels were insufficient and that the facility lacked a formal staffing policy.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

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