Failure to Prevent Resident Elopement Leads to Tragic Outcome
Summary
The facility failed to properly monitor and supervise a resident with a known risk of elopement, resulting in the resident leaving the facility without permission. The resident, who had a history of dementia, bipolar disorder, and PTSD, was cognitively impaired and required supervision to ensure safety. Despite these needs, the resident managed to exit the facility through a fire exit door, triggering an alarm that staff failed to respond to effectively. The resident was later found deceased in an abandoned building, highlighting the severe consequences of the facility's oversight. Interviews and observations revealed that the facility had inadequate security measures in place, such as malfunctioning alarms and easily accessible elevator codes, which residents could use to leave the building unsupervised. Staff members, including the receptionist and nursing staff, were aware of the resident's elopement risk but did not take appropriate actions to prevent the resident from leaving. The facility's elopement risk assessments and care plans were not effectively implemented, and there was a lack of documentation and communication regarding the resident's attempts to leave the facility. The facility's failure to maintain a secure environment and provide adequate supervision for residents at risk of elopement was further compounded by staff's inability to promptly locate the resident after the alarm was triggered. The facility's policies on missing residents and elopement risk were not adequately followed, leading to a tragic outcome. The lack of proper training and awareness among staff members contributed to the facility's inability to prevent the resident's elopement and subsequent death.
Removal Plan
- R1 is no longer at the facility.
- Resident head count of the whole facility was completed by the DON/clinical managers. There was no concern identified.
- Headcount is done during shift change as part of the nurse-to-nurse shift reporting and when the staff identifies that a resident is missing.
- Facility wide audit was done to identify residents that are high risk for elopement by the DON, unit manager, Administrator and Social Services.
- Any resident who is identified with wandering behavior/elopement risk will have care plans developed. This will be completed by the IDT.
- The elopement binders have been updated and all elopement binders in all floors. The elopement binder is updated when a new resident is added to the binder. A resident is added to the binder when the resident is identified with exit seeking-behavior/risk for elopement.
- The Maintenance Director or designee will check all exit doors. Initially done and daily.
- The DON or designee will provide education and competency test to the staff including agency staff. The education items include but not limited to: Code 99, Use of the elopement binders, Exit-seeking behaviors and interventions, Elopement risk and wandering and interventions, Policy on missing resident, Responding to alarms, Resident safety and supervision. The training was completed. Any staff who are not available, on vacation or leave of absence will have training completed at the start of their shift upon return to work.
- The DON or designee also reviewed the general orientation to ensure that the following items were included: Code 99, Use of the elopement binders, Exit-seeking behaviors and interventions, Elopement risk and wandering and interventions, Policy on missing resident, Responding to alarms, Resident safety and supervision.
- Ad-Hoc QAPI meeting was completed which were participated by the leadership team which includes the Director of Nursing, ADON, Social services Director, Assistant Administrator, Rehabilitation Manager, and the Activities Director. The Medical Director also participated via telephone. The QAPI team discussed the incident and the corrective actions to prevent similar events.
- Elopement drill was completed by the Administrator. This will also be completed daily, for the seven days, and will be done at different shifts. After seven days, the elopement drills will be done weekly for three months, then monthly thereafter.
- All exit doors in the facility will also be checked by the Maintenance Director to ensure all doors were locked, secure and alarms are functioning. Staff will be stationed at each identified exit until the identified exits have a delayed egress installed. Service has been contacted and scheduled to install egress delays. Door checks will be completed daily, including weekends by the MOD manager or designee. The door checks will be completed by Maintenance Director, or designee. If there is any concern identified, the Administrator and/or the Maintenance Director will be notified immediately. If there is any concern with the door, a staff member will be assigned as door monitor until the door concern is addressed.
- Daily, the DON, clinical managers, and members of the IDT will hold clinical meetings and discuss new or worsening wandering/exit-seeking behaviors. Any new and/or worsening behaviors will be addressed by ensuring that appropriate clinical interventions are implemented to prevent an incident of elopement. The MOD/charge nurse or designee will also conduct weekend clinical meetings to review new or worsening exit-seeking/wandering behaviors and ensure interventions are in place to prevent elopement.
- New admissions will be reviewed by the DON or designee for elopement risk and any resident identified as being at risk will be updated into the facility elopement books.
- The QAPI team will hold a weekly Ad-Hoc QAPI meeting to discuss the elopement prevention program and review interventions to new/worsening wandering/exit-seeking behaviors. The QAPI team will determine if additional corrective actions are necessary based on concerns identified.
- Staff is stationed at each identified exit until the identified exits have a delayed egress installed.
- The identified exits are emergency exits and will have 15 second delayed egress installed.
- Service with outside vendor has been contacted and scheduled to install egress delays.
- All staff on the unit will respond to the codes. Follow up by the nurse-supervisor.
- Codes were changed to door. Residents do not have access to codes.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to Follow Fall Interventions: A resident with dementia, ESRD on dialysis, impaired mobility, and a history of falls was observed ambulating and self-transferring in her room and bathroom without staff assistance, despite orders and a care plan requiring one-person assist with a walker, call light use, frequent safety checks, and skid strips by the bed. Staff interviews confirmed the resident was transferring independently and that the skid strips were not in place as documented.
A resident assessed as high risk for falls did not receive the physician-ordered fall mat on the right side of the bed. Surveyors observed no mat during multiple checks, and the TAR did not reflect the intervention. The resident said the mat had been removed after a new bed was placed, while an RN and the DON acknowledged the order remained in place even though the mat was no longer being used.
Smoking safety interventions were not consistently implemented for four residents who smoked. Two residents were observed smoking with staff supervision but without the smoking aprons listed in their assessments and care plans, and two other residents were also observed smoking in wheelchairs without aprons despite care plan interventions requiring them. The DON confirmed the apron requirement for two of the residents, while the ADON stated residents sometimes complained about the aprons and that he did not know when smoking assessments were completed.
A resident with cerebral palsy, severe cognitive impairment, wheelchair use, and a care plan requiring a mechanical lift for all transfers was manually transferred by a CNA instead of using the lift. During observation, the CNA lifted the resident by the upper back and moved him between the wheelchair and bed without mechanical assistance, despite having completed lift competency training and despite the DON confirming the resident required a mechanical lift for all transfers.
Failure to supervise a resident at risk for elopement led to repeated exit-seeking and wandering events, including being found off the unit and near exterior areas. The resident had dementia with cognitive impairment, hemiplegia, and diabetes, and staff notes described missing documentation of several wandering episodes, an incomplete care plan intervention, and incidents involving a broken alarmed door, a Wanderguard, and an unknown visitor letting the resident off the unit.
A resident with severe cognitive impairment fell during a lift transfer when a sling strap came loose and the chest strap clip broke, and two other residents were observed being transferred with total body lifts using slings that were not verified against their care plans or mobility assessments. Staff interviews showed some CNAs relied on the sling already in the room or on how it fit, rather than consistently checking the care plan or Kardex for the correct sling size and transfer method.
Failure to Follow Fall Interventions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident's fall interventions were in place for one resident reviewed for falls. The resident had diagnoses of dementia and end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, was documented as having intact cognition but needing supervision with ADLs, transfers, and walker use, and was identified as a fall risk due to ESRD, impulsive behavior, and impaired mobility. The resident's nursing and provider orders directed staff to assist with ambulation, remind the resident to use the call light and wait for staff, and complete frequent safety checks each shift. The resident had a documented fall in which she was found sitting on the floor between her drawer and walker with bleeding from a forehead injury and a skin tear to her jaw, and she was transferred to the hospital where she received stitches. The incident report stated the resident lost her balance when she walked to her drawer to close it. The resident's care plan later identified a self-care performance deficit related to actual falls, weakness, and impaired mobility, and included interventions such as assistance from one staff member with a walker and gait belt, assistance with transfers and toileting, use of assistive devices, skid strips next to the bed, and frequent monitoring for safety. During observations, the resident was seen ambulating and self-transferring in her room and bathroom without staff assistance and at times without using her walker or call light. Staff observed the resident walking independently in her room, and an unidentified staff member passed by without entering the room. The resident stated that she walked and used the bathroom by herself and did not need to follow instructions. Staff interviews confirmed that the resident transferred independently and ambulated without a walker or staff assistance, while another nurse stated the resident was not supposed to self-transfer and that skid strips were not present despite being listed in the care plan. The DON stated that staff were expected to follow resident orders and care plans for safety.
Missing Ordered Fall Mat for High-Fall-Risk Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a resident assessed as high risk for falls received the physician-ordered fall prevention intervention of a fall mat positioned on the right side of the bed. Resident #50 was admitted with diagnoses including orthostatic hypotension, lack of coordination, reduced mobility, and communication deficit. The resident’s fall risk assessment showed a score of 50, indicating high risk for falling, and the care plan identified the resident as at risk for falls and fall-related injury due to a history of falls with fracture, cognitive impairment, and decreased safety awareness. During multiple observations, the resident was seen at the bedside and no fall mat was present on the right side of the bed or located in the room. The physician order dated 6/7/2026 specified a mat on the right side of the bed, but the MAR and TAR did not reflect the fall mat as an implemented intervention. The resident stated the fall mat had been removed after a new bed was placed and had been gone for a long time. An RN stated the resident was a fall risk and that the order for the fall mat should be followed or cancelled if no longer needed. The DON stated the bed had been changed out and the mat would get in the way, and the order should have been cancelled.
Smoking Safety Interventions Not Followed
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure adequate assessment and implementation of smoking safety interventions for four sampled residents who smoked. Residents #12 and #85 were observed smoking in the designated smoking area with staff supervision on multiple occasions, but neither was observed wearing a smoking apron even though the smoking binder and care plan indicated they needed one. During an interview, the ADON confirmed both residents were listed as needing aprons and stated the residents sometimes complained about the apron, but they should not smoke unless they put it on. The ADON also stated he does not go out with smokers often and does not know when assessments are completed. Resident #12 had diagnoses including COPD, muscle weakness, and epilepsy, and smoking evaluations noted tobacco use and balance problems while sitting or standing; smoking was added to the care plan with a clothing protector intervention. Resident #85 had diagnoses including hemiplegia and right-hand contracture, and although initial smoking evaluations indicated tobacco use with no impairments, smoking was later added to the care plan with a clothing protection requirement. Resident #52, who had CVA with right-sided weakness and paralysis, diabetes, mood disorder, major depressive disorder, and right hand and upper arm contracture, was observed smoking in a wheelchair without a smoking apron despite a care plan intervention requiring one. Resident #11, who had TBI, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, paraplegia, and upper extremity contractures, was also observed in the smoking area in a wheelchair without a smoking apron, and no attempt was made by the smoking monitor to get the apron on. The DON confirmed that Residents #52 and #11 were supposed to wear smoking aprons when smoking, and the facility smoking policy required residents to be educated and evaluated for smoking upon admission, re-admission, and quarterly.
Failure to Use Required Mechanical Lift for Resident Transfer
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure Resident #5 was transferred with a mechanical lift as required. Resident #5 was admitted with diagnoses including cerebral palsy, BPH, and hypertension, and a quarterly MDS showed severe impairment in thinking with a BIMS score of 4. He required substantial to maximal assistance with toileting hygiene, used a wheelchair for mobility, and his care plan documented a history of falls with interventions initiated for a mechanical lift for all transfers to wheelchairs. A POC task also indicated he required a mechanical lift for transfers every shift, and he was listed among residents requiring a sling/mechanical lift. During observation, CNA C provided incontinent care and transferred Resident #5 from his specialized wheelchair to the bed and back without using a mechanical lift. Instead, she manually lifted him by placing her arms around his upper back and interlocking her fingers. In interview, CNA C stated she had been employed for a month, had completed lift competency during orientation, but did not use the lift because she felt comfortable transferring him without assistance and had never used the mechanical lift on him, although other staff did. The DON stated Resident #5 required a mechanical lift for all transfers and that staff could see this in the POC. The facility policy stated mechanical lifting devices shall be used for lifting and moving residents when necessary.
Failure to Supervise Resident at Risk for Elopement
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide adequate supervision to prevent resident elopement for a resident who was identified as at risk for elopement and did not reside on a secured unit. The resident had diagnoses including hemiplegia, diabetes, and dementia, and the MDS indicated cognitive impairment. The record showed multiple elopement evaluations with changing results, including several assessments that identified the resident as at risk for elopement in July 2026, while earlier assessments had indicated not at risk or were incomplete. The care plan identified the resident as an elopement risk/wanderer related to impaired safety awareness, but the record contained only one incomplete intervention related to wandering, and no resident preferences were included. Behavior monitoring documented exit-seeking and wandering behaviors on multiple occasions in May, June, and July 2026, but progress notes did not document the behaviors noted on 5/21/26, 6/21/26, and 7/14/26. A physician order for a Wanderguard was created after the resident was found wandering outside on the curb, and staff notes described discussions with family and assessments after the resident was returned to the unit. The resident was later involved in additional elopement-related events. Staff statements and progress notes described the resident being found near a door, in the front hall, in the assisted living area, and off the unit near common areas, with staff searching for her after she was reported missing. One note stated the resident could escape through a security door because the alarm was broken and had not been fixed yet. Another investigation note stated the resident was found off the unit in a common area adjacent to the unit after being let off by an unknown visitor. The facility determined that the resident was cognitively unable to recognize the door requiring a code and would be physically unable to open it without assistance. The report states the facility was out of compliance with resident safety and supervision since 4/12/26.
Failure to verify correct sling size and safe lift use during resident transfers
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure staff followed accident prevention interventions and safe device use for three sampled residents who required total body lift transfers. The report states that four certified nursing assistants did not verify the correct sling size before transferring residents, despite care plans and the lift’s sling-size identification system directing staff to use specific sling sizes based on resident weight and transfer needs. Resident 39 had severe cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with behavioral disturbance, anxiety disorder, and muscle weakness. Her care plan and mobility assessments showed a progression from sit-to-stand lift use to total body lift use with two staff members and a medium sling. On 5/1/26, she was transferred from her wheelchair to her bed by a CNA using a sit-to-stand lift when the sling strap came loose from the hook on the lift and the chest strap clip broke, causing her to fall backward onto the floor. She sustained a skin tear on her right forearm, bruising to the right side of her face, redness to the right side of her body, and a bruise on her right frontal scalp. She was sent to the ER, where X-rays showed no acute findings or fractures. Observations later showed resident 39 being transferred with a total body lift using a large sling, and resident 8 and resident 25 were also observed with large total body lift slings on. Resident 8 had paraplegia, moderate cognitive impairment, and a care plan directing total body lift transfers with a medium and extra-large sling, while his mobility assessment indicated an extra-large sling and two staff members. Resident 25 had vascular dementia and muscle weakness; her care plan directed total body lift transfers with two staff members, and her mobility assessment indicated a large sling. Interviews with CNAs showed that staff sometimes relied on the sling already in the room or judged sling size by how it fit, rather than consistently referring to the care plan or Kardex. The DON and MDS coordinator stated that staff were expected to use the resident’s care plan or Kardex to determine sling size for safe transfers.
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