F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
K

Failure to Monitor and Respond to Diabetic Residents' Conditions

Autumn Care Of WaynesvilleWaynesville, North Carolina Survey Completed on 05-09-2024

Summary

Nursing staff failed to identify the seriousness of a change in condition for a resident with insulin-dependent diabetes and provide thorough ongoing monitoring and comprehensive assessments. On one occasion, a nurse reported that a resident was sleepy all day, but the resident was not assessed until several hours later, at which point she was only responsive to painful stimuli. The nurse did not check the resident's blood sugar and there was a significant delay in contacting Emergency Medical Services (EMS), resulting in the resident being transferred to the emergency room in an unresponsive state with a blood sugar level of 74 mg/dL. The resident was later diagnosed with metabolic encephalopathy and expired after being transferred to hospice care. Another resident with insulin-dependent diabetes was admitted to the facility, but the facility failed to administer sliding scale insulin as per the hospital discharge summary or monitor blood sugar levels according to physician orders. The resident reported extreme thirst and requested a blood sugar check, which revealed a dangerously high level of 548 mg/dL. This indicated a potential diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication of diabetes. The facility's failure to monitor and administer insulin as ordered contributed to the resident's critical condition. Additionally, the facility failed to assess a resident for the cause of significant weight gain and edema. The deficient practices occurred for three sampled residents, highlighting a pattern of inadequate monitoring, assessment, and communication among nursing staff. These failures led to immediate jeopardy situations for the residents involved, necessitating corrective actions to address the deficiencies and prevent recurrence.

Removal Plan

  • The Regional Director of Clinical Services educated Nurse #1 and Paramedic #1 on effective communication between staff during a Medical Emergency, timely assessment, monitoring, and assessment of change of condition including Blood Pressure, Pulse, Respirations, Temp, oxygen saturation and Blood Sugar if resident is a Diabetic.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee immediately audited the Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation and progress notes of residents sent to hospital to confirm that no delay in assessment, monitoring or transfer to hospital occurred. No negative findings were found.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee audited Nursing progress notes to ensure no change of conditions were found and not followed up on in a timely manner. No negative findings were found.
  • The Social Worker/Administrator or Designee interviewed residents with a BIMS of 12 or above regarding if they have had a change of condition that was not followed up on immediately and if they felt they had a delay in treatment.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee audited Nursing progress notes of residents with a BIMS of less than 12 to ensure residents had no change of condition that was not followed up on immediately. No negative findings were noted.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee interviewed all nursing and therapy staff regarding knowledge of any residents having change of conditions that were not addressed. No negative findings were noted.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee educated all Certified Nursing Assistants on reporting any change of condition of residents to the nurse immediately. The Director of Nursing or Designee will ensure Certified Nursing Assistants that were not working will be educated prior to their next shift.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee educated Licensed Nurses and Paramedics on timely assessment and monitoring and assessment of change of condition including Blood Pressure, Pulse, Respirations, Temperature, Oxygen Saturation and Blood Sugar if resident is a Diabetic. The Licensed Nurses and Paramedics that were not working will be educated prior to their next shift. The Director of Nursing or Designee will ensure Licensed Nurses and Paramedics that were not working will be educated prior to their next shift.
  • Director of Nursing or Designee educated all staff on effective communication between staff members during a Medical Emergency. The staff that were not working will be trained prior to their next shift. The Director of Nursing or Designee will ensure all staff that were not working will be educated prior to their next shift.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee educated all Licensed Nurses and Paramedics on observing and assessing residents for change of condition from baseline and communicating to provider for follow up and treatment in a timely manner. The Licensed Nurses and Paramedics that were not working will be educated prior to their next shift. The Director of Nursing or Designee will ensure Licensed Nurses and Paramedics that were not working will be educated prior to their next shift.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee educated all Licensed Nurses and Paramedics on recognizing serious decline of cognition and responsiveness of resident as an emergent occurrence and to contact provider and transfer to hospital immediately. The Director of Nursing or Designee will ensure Licensed Nurses and Paramedics that were not working will be educated prior to their next shift.
  • Ad Hoc QAPI was completed regarding effective communication between staff in Medical Emergencies, timeliness of assessment, monitoring, and following provider orders to include transferring resident to hospital related to change of condition.
  • The Regional Director of Clinical Services educated the Administrator, Director of Nursing, Assistant Director of Nursing, Scheduler and Human Resources on the orientation process that will include education on recognizing change of condition, effective communication during a Medical Emergency, timely assessment and monitoring, and assessment of change of condition including Blood Pressure, Pulse, Respirations, Temp, oxygen saturation, and Blood Sugar if resident is a Diabetic.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee will ensure newly hired Licensed Nurses or Paramedics receive education during Orientation on the Effective Communication during a Medical Emergency, timely assessment, monitoring, and assessment of change of condition including Blood Pressure, Pulse, Respirations, Temp, oxygen saturation and Blood Sugar if resident is a Diabetic.
  • The Director of Nursing or Designee will ensure Agency Staff receive education on Effective Communication during a Medical Emergency, timely assessment, monitoring, and assessment of change of condition including Blood Pressure, Pulse, Respirations, Temp, oxygen saturation and Blood Sugar if resident is a Diabetic prior to first shift of working in facility.

Penalty

Fine: $107,387
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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

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0684 citations
Failure to Follow Physician Orders for Insulin, Weight Monitoring, and Lab Tests
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

Surveyors found that staff did not follow multiple physician orders for three residents. A resident with diabetes received ordered insulin even when blood glucose readings were below the ordered hold parameter. Another resident with cerebral palsy, DM, and heart failure had repeated significant overnight weight gains without evidence that the physician was notified as ordered. A third resident with anemia and CKD had ordered CBC and CMP lab tests that were not documented as completed. The DON confirmed there was no documentation that these physician orders were carried out.

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 Implement Ordered Bowel Protocol for Constipation Management
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with multiple medical conditions, including respiratory disorders and diabetes, had physician orders for scheduled laxatives and a three-step PRN bowel protocol to be used when no bowel movement occurred within specified timeframes. Over a four-day period without a documented BM, the MAR showed that none of the ordered bowel protocol steps were administered, and there was no documentation of bowel care on one of those days. Facility records also lacked any notes of medication refusal or staff education regarding bowel care, and leadership confirmed the absence of documentation and implementation of the ordered bowel protocol.

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 Reevaluate Blood Glucose After Treatment for Hyperglycemia
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with Alzheimer's disease and type II DM, who required extensive assistance with ADLs and was receiving scheduled Lantus and sliding-scale Humalog, experienced a severely elevated blood glucose level. The on-call provider was notified and ordered an additional dose of lispro insulin with a directive to recheck the blood glucose after administration. Nursing staff administered the extra insulin but did not document any follow-up blood glucose check, and the DON confirmed that this reevaluation was required by the facility's abnormal blood glucose policy and was not completed or documented.

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 Assess and Notify Providers for Abnormal Blood Glucose Levels
K
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

The facility failed to follow professional standards and physician orders for multiple diabetic residents by not consistently assessing and responding to abnormal capillary blood glucose (CBG) results. Several residents with diabetes and comorbid conditions such as CKD, CHF, CAD, COPD, dementia, ESRD, and heart failure had repeated CBG readings in both hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic ranges, including values below 70 mg/dl and above 400 mg/dl, without documented provider notification, rechecks, or clinical assessment. Some insulin and CBG monitoring orders lacked clear parameters for provider notification, and in at least one case a resident left on a leave of absence after a markedly elevated CBG without reevaluation. Although LPNs described appropriate protocols for managing low and high blood sugars during interviews, the documentation in the medical records did not show that these steps were consistently implemented or recorded, leading to an immediate jeopardy finding related to quality of care.

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 Assess and Respond to Post‑Fall Hip Pain and Mobility Decline
G
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, osteoporosis, and prior femur fracture experienced an unwitnessed fall and subsequently developed severe hip pain and decreased ability to ambulate and transfer. Nursing staff failed to document the fall on the day it occurred, did not complete comprehensive lower‑extremity or mobility assessments, and repeatedly charted pain scores of 0 despite the resident’s complaints and nurse aide reports of significant pain with movement and increased assistance needs. An NP evaluated the resident for hip pain but was not informed of the fall, did not assess the hips or legs, and treated the pain as baseline neuropathic discomfort. Over several days, PRN acetaminophen was given intermittently without consistent pain scoring, multiple shifts lacked progress notes or assessments, and aides assumed nurses were aware of the resident’s worsening pain and functional decline. Bilateral hip x‑rays were eventually ordered after internal communication about hip pain, and the report later showed an acute displaced femoral neck fracture, after which the resident was sent to the hospital and underwent a left hip hemiarthroplasty.

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 Assess, Notify, and Monitor Resident After Facial Trauma
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis reported being punched in the face by another resident, resulting in facial bruising. The resident’s MDS showed intact cognition, and a change in condition evaluation documented the assault; however, the MD was not notified until more than a day later. The care plan directed licensed nurses to assess the resident’s body, and staff observed a purplish bruise on the right lower eyelid/orbital area, but this was not documented in the progress notes. Required every-shift monitoring for 72 hours after the change in condition was not documented on multiple day shifts. The DON confirmed lack of awareness of the bruise and acknowledged missing documentation and monitoring, despite facility policies requiring immediate provider notification and complete, accurate charting of changes in condition.

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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