F0947 F947: Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
F

Deficiency in Dementia Training for Facility Staff

Norwalk Skilled Nursing & Wellness Centre, LlcNorwalk, California Survey Completed on 07-26-2024

Summary

The facility failed to ensure that all staff received the required five hours of annual dementia training, which is crucial for providing comprehensive care to residents with dementia. During an interview and record review, the Director of Staff Development (DSD) confirmed that staff were supposed to receive two hours of dementia training upon hire and six hours annually. However, the facility's policy, revised in October 2017, stated that staff should complete two hours of dementia-specific training within the first 40 hours of employment and a minimum of five hours annually, excluding the initial two hours. This discrepancy in training hours was identified during a survey, indicating that the facility did not adhere to its policy, potentially leading to neglect or inadequate care for residents with dementia. The Director of Nursing (DON) emphasized the importance of dementia training to prevent nurse burnout and to educate staff on caring for residents at risk of being started on unnecessary medications. The lack of adherence to the training policy was documented, with attendance at in-service training required to be maintained in each employee's personal file. This failure to provide adequate training had the potential to result in residents with dementia being neglected and not receiving resident-centered, comprehensive care.

Penalty

Inspection fine: $47,993
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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 F0947 citations
NA Training and Dementia Education Deficiency
F
F0947 F947: Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Short Summary

NA Training and Dementia Education Deficiency: The facility failed to ensure an NA received the required 12 hours of annual education and dementia management training as required by the Facility Assessment. Records showed the NA had only 10.15 hours of continuing education, no documented dementia training, and did not attend staff in-services or nursing meetings; the FA and DON confirmed the missing training documentation.

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 Document Required Annual Nurse Aide Education
D
F0947 F947: Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Short Summary

The facility failed to ensure that three nurse aides completed the required annual education. Review of employee education files showed no documented evidence that Nurse Aides 10, 11, and 12 completed the required 12 hours of annual training, and the DON confirmed the missing documentation during interview.

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.
Nurse Aide Annual Training Deficiencies
D
F0947 F947: Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Short Summary

Nurse aide training records showed two employees did not receive the required annual in-service education, and both lacked abuse prevention training. The facility’s job description required at least 12 hours of continuing education, and the DON stated she expected nurse aides to complete that amount each year and include abuse prevention training.

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.
Missing Annual In-Service Training Documentation for Nurse Aides
F
F0947 F947: Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Short Summary

Missing Annual In-Service Training Documentation for Nurse Aides: The facility failed to verify that two CNAs had completed the required 12 hours of annual in-service training. Personnel files for both aides lacked documentation, and the DON stated the facility could not determine whether the training had been completed. The facility policy required at least 12 hours of annual in-service training based on employment date, with documentation kept in the personnel file.

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.
Missing CNA Annual and Dementia Care Training
F
F0947 F947: Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Short Summary

Missing CNA Annual and Dementia Care Training: The facility failed to document required annual training for three CNAs and failed to document training in the care of cognitively impaired residents for three other CNAs. Staff record review showed the affected CNAs had no evidence of the required training, and the Administrator verified the missing documentation during interview.

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.
CNA In-Service Training Not Completed
E
F0947 F947: Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Short Summary

The facility failed to maintain required CNA in-service education for a CNA specific to the resident population. Record review and an interview with the Administrative Nurse confirmed the CNA had not completed mandatory training in psychosocial needs of the older adult, abuse prevention in persons with dementia, and challenging behaviors/care interventions for individuals experiencing dementia. The facility did not provide a CNA education 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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