Failure to Assess and Respond to Resident Falls and Changes in Condition
Summary
The facility failed to perform a comprehensive assessment and seek immediate medical treatment for Resident #40 after a fall with injury. On the night of the incident, multiple staff members responded to the resident's room after hearing a call for help. The resident was found face down on the floor, and despite signs of injury, such as an internally rotated and shortened left leg, the staff moved the resident back to bed without conducting a proper assessment or obtaining vital signs. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was initially summoned but later canceled based on the resident's advance directive, which led to a delay in appropriate medical intervention. An x-ray the following day confirmed an acute fracture of the proximal left femur, and the resident was eventually transferred to the hospital for further evaluation and pain management. In another incident, the facility failed to follow up on an abnormal radiology report and obtain necessary laboratory testing for Resident #196, who was admitted with respiratory failure. The resident's condition worsened, showing signs of confusion and respiratory distress, but the staff did not notify the on-call provider of the abnormal chest x-ray results or the inability to obtain lab results. The resident was only transferred to the hospital after becoming unresponsive to anything but painful stimuli, where they were diagnosed with pneumonia and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. These deficiencies highlight the facility's failure to adequately assess and respond to changes in residents' conditions, leading to delays in necessary medical care. The lack of timely communication with medical providers and failure to adhere to protocols for assessing residents after falls or changes in condition contributed to the harm experienced by the residents involved.
Removal Plan
- The Director of Nursing will review falls to ensure residents were assessed by licensed nurses identifying obvious injuries prior to being moved to determine if the resident required a higher level of care.
- The Chief Nursing Officer will educate the DON on directing the staff that call regarding falls with injury to the MOST forms and when to notify family and/or EMS.
- The Director of Nursing will educate licensed nurses on assessing resident status post falls, to include vital signs, neuro checks, range of motion, skin assessment and pain assessment, prior to being moved.
- Residents assessed with obvious injuries will be transferred to a higher level of care warranted by their MOST form.
- The Director of Nursing and clinical team will review falls in clinical meetings to ensure assessments were completed and if indicated, resident receive a higher level of care.
- The MOST forms will be reviewed/updated by the Social Workers and kept in a binder at both nursing stations.
- Staff will notify Resident/Resident's responsible party, along with the provider, on assessment findings and guidance to determine if a higher level of care and services are warranted.
- The Director of Nursing and the SDC will educate the licensed nurses to review resident MOST forms before calling Emergency Medical Services and if obvious deformity to include indications of fracture are observed residents should be immediately transferred to a higher level of care because resident's comfort needs cannot be met at the facility.
- The Director of Nursing and the Staff Development Coordinator will educate all staff to include the certified nursing assistants (CNA), certified medication assistants (CMA), licensed nurses, therapy staff, housekeeping/laundry staff, dietary staff, social services, administrative staff, weekend staff, agency and prn staff on ensuring that residents that experience falls are not moved prior to an assessment by a licensed nurse and reporting any changes from baseline immediately to the nurse.
- The Staff Development Coordinator and the Director of Nursing will be responsible for ensuring all staff to include licensed nurses, certified nursing assistants (CNA), certified medication aides (CMA), dietary staff, social services, housekeeping/laundry staff, therapy staff, maintenance staff, administrative staff, weekend staff, agency staff and prn staff receive the education.
- Staff including new hires and prn staff will not be allowed to work without completing this education.
- The education will be ongoing to include new hires and prn staff.
- The SDC will be responsible for ensuring the education is completed.
- The Administrator will be responsible for ensuring implementation of this immediate jeopardy removal for this alleged non-compliance.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
An LPN administered only one tablet of methotrexate instead of the ordered six-tablet dose for a resident with RA. The facility also failed to maintain ordered midline IV care for another resident receiving IV abx, with observations showing a soiled dressing, site discoloration, and later no midline or IV pump present despite orders for ongoing site monitoring, dressing changes, and line removal after tx completion.
A resident with dementia and COPD had an order for continuous O2 via NC, with SpO2 to be maintained between 88% and 92% and not exceed 92%. The record showed SpO2 readings below 88% on room air and multiple readings above 92% while on supplemental O2, with no nursing interventions documented; the DON stated the resident’s SpO2 should have been better monitored and the physician’s O2 order more closely followed.
A resident with a stage 4 pressure injury and sepsis had ongoing loose stools, but the MAR showed no documented PRN loperamide use and the record showed no provider notification despite repeated large loose stools. The same resident was also receiving daily anticoagulant injections and was observed with dark red urine in an indwelling catheter, yet there was no documented bleeding/bruising monitoring, no progress note about the blood in the urine, and no alert charting.
A resident with chronic GI symptoms, malnutrition, diabetes, depression, and PTSD had persistent watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea, but the facility did not adequately track stool testing, confirm lab results, or complete the ordered GI referral. The resident reported frequent diarrhea, fatigue, reduced intake, and soreness, while staff documentation showed conflicting entries about specimen refusal versus sleeping, and the lab later had no record of the specimen that was charted as sent. The record also lacked evidence that the GI specialist appointment was scheduled or completed, and a separate resident’s ordered ECHO for pericardial effusion was not documented as scheduled or completed.
A resident with a growing facial lesion had a dermatology consult delayed for about 3 months. The resident’s chart included provider orders for dermatology follow-up, but the appointment remained pending while the lesion increased in size. Notes from the NP and unit manager documented ongoing waiting for the consult, and the DON stated the health plan should have scheduled it and that consults need to be scheduled in a timely manner.
A resident with HTN and HF had an order for metoprolol succinate to be held if the pulse was below 55 bpm, but MAR and pulse record review showed missing pulse documentation on multiple occasions, pulse checks done after the med was given, and doses administered when the pulse was less than 55 bpm. Staff stated the pulse should have been checked before administration, and the DNS confirmed the expectation was to follow the order and hold the med when indicated.
Medication Dose Error and Midline IV Care Failure
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to administer the correct dosage of Methotrexate Sodium for a resident with rheumatoid arthritis. During medication administration, an LPN poured only one 2.5 mg tablet into the medication cup and then administered the medications, even though the physician order required six tablets by mouth every Wednesday for a total dose of 15 mg. The LPN later stated that she should have given six tablets and not one, and the DON stated that the nurse reported the error to her and was instructed to call the provider and notify the resident. The facility policy stated that medications are to be administered in accordance with prescriber orders. The facility also failed to provide IV device care as ordered for a resident receiving midline therapy and IV antibiotics. Observation showed the resident’s midline dressing dated 5/30/2026 with visible purple discoloration at the insertion site and dry blood under the clear dressing, while an empty antibiotic bag remained in the room. On a later observation, the midline and dressing were no longer present, and the IV pump was also absent. The resident’s orders included weekly dressing changes, every-shift site monitoring, and removal of the midline after treatment was complete. The Medical Director stated that the line is to be removed immediately after the last antibiotic dose, and the DON stated that after a verbal order is obtained it is to be entered into PCC by the end of the shift.
Failure to Follow Oxygen Orders for Resident with COPD
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure physician orders were followed for Resident #11, who was admitted with multiple diagnoses including dementia and COPD. On 6/8/26, the resident had an order for oxygen via nasal cannula continuously and twice daily for COPD, with oxygen titrated to maintain SpO2 between 88% and 92% and not to exceed 92%. The resident’s medical record showed SpO2 readings below 88% on 5/23/26 at 4:27 PM and 5/16/26 at 10:20 AM while on room air, with no interventions documented. The record also showed multiple SpO2 readings above the ordered range while the resident was on supplemental oxygen, including readings of 95% to 98% on several dates, without any nursing intervention documented. Nursing progress notes likewise documented SpO2 of 97% and 98% on 2 L NC without documented intervention. On 6/9/26, the DON stated the resident’s SpO2 should have been better monitored and the physician’s oxygen order more closely followed by staff and was not.
Failure to Monitor Loose Stools and Bleeding During Anticoagulant Therapy
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide treatment and care according to orders, resident preferences, and goals for Resident 81, who was admitted with a stage 4 pressure injury to the bottom and sepsis and was able to make needs known. For bowel management, the resident reported loose stools for a couple of weeks and later stated they had been having diarrhea with abdominal discomfort for 3 days, so loperamide was started as needed. The bowel monitor documented repeated loose stools over several days, including two loose stools on 06/04/2026, three large loose stools on 06/05/2026, and two large loose stools on 06/06/2026 through 06/08/2026. The resident stated staff had not given any medication for the loose stools, the June 2026 MAR showed no documented doses of loperamide, and the record showed no documentation that the provider was notified of the three large loose stools. Staff interviews indicated that frequent loose stools should have been reported to the provider, PRN medication given, and the resident placed on alert charting, but this did not occur. For anticoagulant therapy, Resident 81 was receiving daily anticoagulant injections starting 05/21/2026. During observation, the resident was lying in bed with an indwelling urinary catheter and dark red urine was noted in the tube and bag; the resident stated, "It's never been like that. It's scary." The EHR showed no monitoring for bleeding and bruising related to anticoagulant therapy, and the progress notes contained no documentation about the blood in the urine or alert charting. Staff interviews confirmed the resident had blood in the catheter for a couple of days and that monitoring for bleeding should have been in place, but it was not.
Failure to Follow Up on GI Symptoms, Stool Testing, Specialty Referral, and Diagnostic Order
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to assess, monitor, follow up, and implement physician-ordered care for a resident with ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms, and failed to develop a care plan addressing persistent diarrhea. The resident was cognitively intact, had diagnoses including diabetes mellitus, protein-calorie malnutrition, depression, and PTSD, and was documented as continent, independent with toileting and transfers, and using a wheelchair. The resident’s care plan addressed GI issues such as peptic ulcer disease, pancreatitis, and chronic nausea, but it did not include a problem, goals, or interventions for ongoing diarrhea, abdominal pain, stool testing, infectious GI illness, or management of frequent stools. The resident’s provider documented worsening diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea, and ordered stool testing for enteric pathogens and C. difficile, along with a GI specialist follow-up. Facility records showed repeated documentation of stool collection attempts, including entries that the resident refused or was sleeping, while the resident stated she never refused and that staff often asked when she could not provide a sample or was asleep. A stool specimen was documented as collected and faxed to the lab as STAT, but the medical record lacked laboratory results for that specimen, and later review with the lab found no record that the specimen had been received. The resident continued to report frequent watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, reduced intake, and soreness from repeated bowel movements and wiping. The record also showed that the ordered GI specialist appointment was not documented as scheduled or completed. Staff interviews identified that the HUC was responsible for scheduling follow-up appointments, while nursing staff were expected to enter orders and follow up on pending testing. The DON stated staff should have followed up on pending stool testing, maintained infection control precautions while awaiting results, and notified the provider if the resident refused specimen collection. The resident was later found to have C. difficile detected on stool testing, and the record showed delayed identification and treatment after weeks of unresolved symptoms. In a separate deficiency, the facility failed to ensure a physician’s order was implemented for another resident with end stage renal disease, pericardial effusion, atrial flutter, chronic heart failure, and dialysis dependence. The physician ordered that an echocardiogram be scheduled for the resident by a specified timeframe, but the electronic record lacked documentation that the ECHO had been scheduled, implemented, or completed. The DON and Administrator stated that physician orders were to be entered and verified, and that medical records staff scheduled appointments and nurse managers oversaw implementation, but the order was not completed.
Delayed Dermatology Appointment for Facial Lesion
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a dermatology appointment was scheduled for a resident with a facial skin growth, resulting in a 3-month delay in evaluation. Resident #97 had a raised red growth on the left side of the chin/jaw area, with part of the growth hanging from the chin and tangled with the resident’s long hair. During an interview, the resident stated that the nurse practitioner wanted it removed and that it was benign, and later stated that it was growing and needed to be seen by a dermatologist. Record review showed provider orders dated 2/16/2026 and 3/6/2026 for follow-up with dermatology for the lesion on the left jaw/facial lesion, with the health plan to schedule the appointment. Notes from the nurse practitioner and unit manager documented that the resident had been waiting on dermatology, that the lesion had increased in size over the past month, and that the appointment was still pending. The DON stated the health care plan should have scheduled the dermatology consult and that consults need to be scheduled in a timely manner, and also stated there was no policy for scheduling appointments.
Failure to Follow Hold Parameters for Metoprolol
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow physician orders for a resident admitted with hypertension and heart failure who had an order for metoprolol succinate to be held if the pulse was less than 55 bpm. Review of the MAR and pulse records showed no pulse documentation on multiple dates in May and June 2026, and on several dates the resident’s pulse was taken after the medication had already been administered. The records also showed that metoprolol succinate was administered on several dates when the resident’s pulse was less than 55 bpm. During interviews, staff stated the pulse should have been checked before giving the medication, and the DNS stated the MAR was not triggering for the pulse to be taken prior to administration, while also confirming the expectation was to follow the physician order and hold the medication if the pulse was below 55 bpm.
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