Failure to Complete Weekly Pressure Wound Assessments
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete weekly pressure wound assessments and measurements for one resident who was being treated for pressure wounds on the buttocks. According to the facility's Pressure Ulcer policy, weekly documentation and assessment of pressure ulcers are required until the wound is healed, including details such as wound characteristics, treatment, and progress. The resident, who had diagnoses including atherosclerotic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, dementia, and local skin infections, continued to receive daily wound treatments after the wounds were initially deemed healed. However, there was no documentation of weekly wound assessments for the pressure wounds after they were considered healed, despite ongoing treatment. The wound nurse confirmed she was not informed that the wound had reopened and, as a result, had not performed weekly assessments for the past four weeks.