Failure to Follow Care Plan for Pressure Ulcer Prevention
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to the care plan for a resident, identified as R145, who was at risk for pressure ulcers. R145 was admitted with multiple diagnoses, including encephalopathy due to subdural hematoma, chronic kidney disease, and cerebrovascular accident with hemiplegia. The resident was cognitively impaired and dependent on staff for all activities of daily living. The care plan for R145, dated 11/29/2023, included interventions for daily skin assessments, keeping the skin dry, and monitoring nutrition. However, the facility did not follow through with these interventions, as evidenced by the lack of documented skin assessments after 2/16/2024, despite a physician's order for weekly skin assessments. On 2/16/2024, a CNA reported an open area on R145's sacrum to an LPN, but there was no documented follow-up or additional skin assessments recorded in the medical record. The facility's failure to document and address the skin condition led to the development of an unstageable wound on the sacrum, which was identified by a Wound Nurse Practitioner on 3/27/2024. This oversight in care and documentation was a significant deviation from the facility's policy on comprehensive, person-centered care plans, which should include measurable objectives and timetables to meet the resident's needs. Interviews with facility staff revealed a lack of adherence to the care plan and communication breakdowns. The Corporate Wound Nurse indicated that CNAs are responsible for examining the skin during bathing and reporting changes to the unit nurse, while the MDS Coordinator emphasized the importance of following care plan interventions. Despite these protocols, the facility's staff did not consistently perform or document the required skin assessments, contributing to the resident's deteriorating condition.
Removal Plan
- R145 was discharged from the facility to the hospital for a septic wound and did not return to the facility.
- An AD-HOC meeting was held with the Administrator, Director of Nursing, Regional Director of Operations, Regional Director of Clinical Operations, and Chief Medical Officer to address the concerns identified related to the Immediate Jeopardy Citations.
- The RDO, RDCO, and CMO reviewed the center policy on Developing a Comprehensive Care Plan. No policy changes or recommendations were made because of this review.
- A Root Cause Analysis of the wound management system breakdown was completed by RDO, RDCO, CMO, Administrator and DON. Documentation of analysis was put on the RCA Tool and was included in the Ad Hoc Quality Assurance Performance Improvement QAPI meeting. The Root Cause for the immediate jeopardy was identified as staff not following the center's policy for Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management secondary to education deficit.
- All residents had a pressure ulcer risk assessment performed. Care plans were reviewed and updated by the MDS Coordinators for 139 of 140 residents to ensure that the weekly skin check was listed as an intervention under the at-risk skin care plan.
- The center MDS Coordinator, Wound Care Nurse, and Regional Wound Care Specialist conducted an audit for 5 of 5 residents with pressure ulcers/injuries to ensure that all residents have a comprehensive wound care plan that is being implemented.
- Nursing employees, 6 of 7 RN's, 27 of 29 LPN's and 43 of 46 CNA's were educated by the RWCS, Staff Development Coordinator, and DON on implementation of the care plan for pressure ulcer prevention and management including location of the care plan in the electronic health record and viewing the care plan prior to the start of the shift. LPNs were educated regarding following physicians orders and the person-centered care plan. Any staff not educated during the initial education will have the education prior to the start of their shift or during the orientation period.
- Review of the root cause analysis showed LPNs and CNAs were educated to ensure weekly skin assessments will be completed on a weekly basis and documented. DON will ensure the completion of assessments in a timely manner. The DON verified the DON in-serviced staff along with RN PP. The DON stated CNAs were re-educated on how to fill out shower sheets (and give a copy to the charge nurse and DON), as soon as a skin condition was identified and to notify the nurse immediately.
- Review of a Daily Census revealed 139 of 140 residents were reassessed for risk for pressure ulcers and that residents had a care plan to include weekly skin assessments. This was verified by review of the pressure ulcer risk assessments and care plans for R12, R395, R400, R402 and R403.
- Review of the pressure Ulcer/Injury Care Plan Update Tool revealed 5 of 5 residents care plans were reviewed for accuracy of wound location and care plan reflective of care provided. Review of five residents, R12, R395, R400, R402 and R403, showed the residents had comprehensive care plans for pressure ulcers.
- Review of in-service sign in sheets revealed 27 of 29 LPNs, 43 of 46 CNA's and 6 of 7 RN's were in-serviced by the RWCS on care plans for pressure ulcer prevention and management.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
A resident with chronic kidney disease and DM was documented on the MDS as alert and frequently incontinent of urine, and the CAA indicated that urinary incontinence should be addressed in the care plan. Review of the resident’s current care plan showed no interventions related to urinary incontinence, and the DON confirmed there was no documented evidence that this identified care area was included in the plan.
A resident with multiple diagnoses, including diabetes and COPD, had a physician’s order for apixaban 5 mg twice daily and a corresponding care plan directing staff to administer the anticoagulant as ordered and to monitor and document specific side effects such as abnormal bleeding, bruising, black stools, pink-tinged urine, leg pain or swelling, nausea, vomiting, and sudden chest pain or shortness of breath. Record review showed no documentation that staff monitored for these anticoagulant side effects as required by the care plan, and the CNO confirmed that monitoring for the anticoagulant was not in place despite the expectation that it should have been.
A resident with paraplegia and moderate cognitive impairment, dependent on staff for transfers and using a manual wheelchair, was observed alone in a courtyard sitting in direct sunlight without a drink, contrary to his care plan interventions. The resident reported being routinely left outside unattended, without a way to call staff, and not being offered sunscreen when outside. The care plan called for encouraging fluids, supplying and assisting with sunscreen, and offering assistance in and out of doors, but an RN acknowledged there was no monitoring system or set check times while the resident was outside and that there was no physician order for sunscreen available to offer.
A resident with dementia, anxiety, repeated falls, and dependence on staff for ADLs did not have dentures and glasses addressed in the comprehensive care plan, despite documentation of very impaired cognition, communication difficulties, poor intake with chewing problems, and inconsistent eye contact. Existing nutrition and ADL care plans directed staff to assist with eating, dressing, personal care, and grooming but omitted any mention of dentures, glasses, or the resident’s preferences and responses to using them. Observations found the resident seated in a Broda chair without dentures or glasses, while staff reported these items were in the room and that the resident’s willingness to use them varied, and nursing leadership acknowledged the care plan should have reflected their use and refusals.
A resident with leukemia, dementia, anxiety, and depression was observed in bed using a transfer pole and a 1/4 bed rail, but these assistive devices were not documented in the resident’s comprehensive care plan. Record review confirmed the absence of any care plan addressing the transfer pole or 1/4 bed rail, and the CRN acknowledged that a care plan for these devices should have been in place.
A resident with multiple diagnoses, including chronic PTSD and joint replacement surgery aftercare, did not have their PTSD addressed in the comprehensive person-centered care plan, despite facility policy requiring that all individual conditions and needs be reflected with measurable goals and interventions. Review of the care plan showed no focus, interventions, or tasks related to PTSD, and the CNO acknowledged that the PTSD diagnosis should have been included in the care plan but was not.
Failure to Include Urinary Incontinence in Comprehensive Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop a comprehensive care plan that addressed an identified care area for one resident. Clinical record review showed that this resident had chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus, and a Minimum Data Set completed on February 20, 2026, documented that the resident was alert and frequently incontinent of urine. The Care Area Assessment summary dated the same day specified that the resident’s urinary incontinence was to be addressed in the care plan. However, review of the current care plan revealed no evidence that interventions for urinary incontinence were included. In an interview on April 17, 2026, at 10:25 a.m., the Director of Nursing confirmed that there was no documented evidence that this identified care area was addressed in the resident’s care plan.
Failure to Implement Anticoagulant Monitoring Interventions in Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s implementation of a comprehensive, person-centered care plan related to anticoagulant therapy. The State Operations Manual Appendix PP requires that comprehensive care plans include specific interventions to enable residents to meet objectives, and the facility’s own policy states that care plans must include measurable goals, appropriate interventions, and realistic timeframes. Resident #2, admitted and later readmitted with multiple diagnoses including diabetes and COPD, had a physician’s order dated 12/27/25 for apixaban 5 mg by mouth twice daily. In response, the facility initiated a care plan on 12/27/25 documenting that the resident was on anticoagulant therapy and directing staff to administer the medication as ordered and to monitor and document effectiveness and potential side effects, including abnormal bleeding or bruising, black stools, pink-tinged urine, leg pain or swelling, nausea and vomiting, and sudden onset of chest pain or shortness of breath, with instructions to notify the physician as indicated. Record review showed that Resident #2’s documentation did not include evidence that staff were monitoring for the side effects of the anticoagulant as outlined in the care plan. Despite the care plan’s specific directive to monitor and document for these potential adverse effects, there was no corresponding monitoring documentation in the resident’s records. During an interview on 4/14/26 at 10:15 AM, the CNO confirmed that Resident #2 did not have monitoring in place for the anticoagulant and stated that there should have been a monitor. This lack of documented monitoring demonstrated that the facility failed to ensure that the comprehensive, person-centered care plan interventions for anticoagulant therapy were implemented for this resident.
Failure to Implement Care Plan for Resident Outside in Courtyard
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to implement an existing care plan for a resident who liked to go outside in an unsecured courtyard area. During an observation, the resident was seen alone in his wheelchair in direct sunlight without a drink. In an interview shortly afterward, the resident reported that staff always left him outside unattended, that he had no way to notify staff when he was ready to return indoors, that he had not been offered sunscreen, and that he was ready to go back inside. The resident’s diagnoses included paraplegia, and his most recent Quarterly MDS showed he was moderately cognitively impaired, dependent on staff for transfers, and used a manual wheelchair for mobility. The resident’s care plan, in place since 2018, documented that he liked to go outside in an unsecured area, was not considered an elopement risk, had a BIMS score of 13, and had been educated to notify staff when outside and to remain on the sidewalk. Care plan interventions included encouraging the resident to have a drink of choice when outside, supplying sunscreen and assisting with its application when appropriate, and offering assistance in and out of doors. An RN stated there was no monitoring system or set time intervals for checking on the resident while he was outside unattended, and that staff often only told him a time limit for being outside. The RN also noted the resident was not wearing sunscreen because he often refused it previously, and the physician’s orders did not include an order for sunscreen to be available to offer. The facility’s Comprehensive Care Plan policy required periodic review and revision of care plan problems, goals, and interventions following each OBRA MDS assessment.
Failure to Include Dentures and Glasses in Comprehensive Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to develop a comprehensive, individualized care plan addressing a resident’s dentures and glasses. The resident had dementia with severely impaired cognition, anxiety disorder, repeated falls, and required staff assistance with oral care, toileting, bathing, dressing, footwear, and personal hygiene. The MDS and CAAs documented that the resident was very cognitively impaired, needed staff to anticipate his needs, and had communication difficulties, including missing or not understanding what was said. Existing care plans for nutrition and ADLs directed staff to provide verbal cues and assistance with eating, dressing, personal care, and grooming, but did not identify that the resident used dentures or glasses, nor did they include his preferences or responses to using these items. Facility records showed that the resident’s bottom dentures had previously broken after he placed them in his overall pocket and they fell out when staff removed his overalls. A dietitian note documented that the resident had dentures and reported difficulty chewing tougher meats, and a social services note documented that he did not always exhibit good eye contact during conversation. During observation, the resident was seated in a Broda chair near the television without his dentures or glasses and appeared restless and fidgeting. Social services staff confirmed that the dentures and glasses were in the resident’s room and that whether he wore them depended on his mood. Administrative nursing staff acknowledged that the care plan should have reflected that the resident had dentures and glasses and that he sometimes refused to wear them, but this information was not included in the care plan despite the facility’s use of the RAI process to develop individualized care plans.
Care Plan Omission for Resident Assistive Bed Devices
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s failure to ensure a resident’s comprehensive, person-centered care plan accurately reflected the use of assistive devices. One resident, admitted with multiple diagnoses including leukemia, dementia, anxiety, and depression, was observed in bed with a transfer pole on the left side of the bed and a 1/4 bed rail on the right side. Review of the resident’s care plan showed no documentation of the transfer pole or the 1/4 bed rail. In a subsequent interview, the CRN confirmed that there was no care plan implemented related to the 1/4 bed rail and transfer pole and acknowledged that there should have been. This lack of documentation and care planning for the assistive devices constituted the cited failure and had the potential to result in unmet care needs and increased risk to resident safety, as noted in the survey findings.
Failure to Care Plan for Resident’s PTSD Diagnosis
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors found that the facility failed to develop and implement a comprehensive, person-centered care plan addressing a resident’s diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The facility’s policy on Comprehensive Care Plan and Conferences, dated 9/3/25, required that care plans reflect residents’ individual conditions, risks, needs, behaviors, cultural values, and preferences, and include measurable goals, appropriate interventions, and realistic timeframes. Resident #13 was initially admitted and later readmitted with multiple diagnoses, including chronic PTSD and joint replacement surgery aftercare, and the medical record dated 3/3/26 documented a diagnosis of chronic PTSD. However, on 3/31/26 at 2:09 PM, review of the resident’s care plan showed no focus, interventions, or tasks addressing the PTSD diagnosis. On 4/1/26 at 12:47 PM, the CNO confirmed that the resident’s PTSD diagnosis should have been care planned and had not been, demonstrating noncompliance with the facility’s care planning policy.
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