F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
E

Failure to Provide Ongoing Activities Program for Residents

Premier Rehab And Healthcare At BerlinBarre, Vermont Survey Completed on 02-06-2025

Summary

The facility failed to provide an ongoing activities program to support residents' choices and interests, as evidenced by the lack of engaging activities for six of twenty sampled residents. Over a four-day survey period, no group activities were observed, and residents were seen sitting idly in hallways and public spaces without any organized engagement. Staff interviews confirmed that activities were on hold due to an active Covid outbreak, but residents continued to congregate in common areas without social distancing. Multiple residents reported that there had been no activities for an extended period, and some stated they had not been offered any bedside or alternative activity options. Record reviews revealed that several residents had care plans indicating preferences for group activities such as BINGO, musical events, arts and crafts, and resident council, but there was no evidence that these preferences were being met. Activity logs for the sampled residents were missing for several months, and the activities calendars showed only independent activities on weekends with no scheduled activities after 4 PM. The Activities Director confirmed that group activities were suspended, had not reviewed all residents' activity assessments, and was unable to produce daily activity logs. The Director also acknowledged that there were insufficient activities for residents with dementia and that she was the only staff member in the activities department. Residents interviewed expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of activities, with some stating they spent their time watching TV or engaging in self-entertainment. One resident noted that the previous activities staff had been reassigned, leaving no one to provide activities. New admissions were not informed about available activities, and there was no evidence that residents were being offered meaningful engagement in accordance with their care plans. The deficiency was further compounded by inadequate staffing and lack of documentation regarding activity provision.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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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 F0679 citations
Failure to Provide Individualized Activities
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to Provide Individualized Activities: Two residents with severe cognitive impairment and significant physical limitations had care plans calling for 1:1 in-room activities and support for emotional, intellectual, physical, and social needs, but the record showed only a few documented in-room activity entries over a 12-month period. The Activity Director and other staff could not confirm the frequency of activities provided, and the Administrator stated the documented activity frequency was not sufficient.

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 Provide Individualized In-Room Activities
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to Provide Individualized In-Room Activities: A resident with anxiety, chronic pain, scoliosis, and end stage HF was cognitively intact and had identified music, news, and favorite activities as important, but he reported staying in bed without in-room activities and requested a word search book that he had not received. The AD log for in-room activities could not be found, and facility leadership stated the AD position was open and a qualified candidate was being sought.

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 Provide Ongoing Activities for Residents With Dementia
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to provide ongoing activities for two residents with dementia and severe cognitive impairment. Both residents had documented preferences for music, animals, outdoor time, family visits, and other favorite activities, yet they were repeatedly observed sitting in wheelchairs at the dining table with no activity or stimulation. Staff stated the residents did not participate because of their cognition, while the Activity staff noted there were multiple activities available for residents with cognitive loss.

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 Provide Individualized Activity Programming
E
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to Provide Individualized Activity Programming: Three residents with dementia or other significant cognitive impairment had documented activity preferences, but staff did not consistently provide or reapproach activities to match those interests. One resident was observed in-room for long periods without activities being offered, another had limited activity participation despite stated preferences for reading, news, and outdoor time, and a third had no evidence of activity participation and the resident representative reported no invitations to activities. COTA input confirmed the facility lacked an activity director and did not facilitate independent activities for some residents.

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 Provide Ongoing Activities for a Resident With Behavioral Needs
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to provide ongoing activities for a resident with behavioral needs. A resident who was incapacitated, wandered the halls, and had repeated agitation and resident-to-resident incidents was not given consistent group or individual activities aligned with stated interests such as music and church. The activity log showed many missed activity days, staff said the resident did not attend group activities often, and the facility did not provide individual one-on-one activities.

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 Provide Individualized Activities
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to provide individualized activities for a resident with severe intellectual disabilities and severe cognitive impairment. The resident’s MDS and care plan documented preferences for music, going outside, and religious activities, and that she was dependent on staff for all ADLs and needed cognitive stimulation and social interaction. However, the EMR lacked documentation of activities offered or participated in, observations showed her sitting without stimulation, and staff stated she had not received the expected 1:1 in-room activities and could not meaningfully participate in group activities.

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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