F0678 F678: Provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
E

Failure to Follow Advance Directives and Inadequate Code Blue Communication Systems

Lake Country Health ServicesOconomowoc, Wisconsin Survey Completed on 03-12-2025

Summary

The facility failed to have a policy and procedure in place to ensure that residents' code status, as indicated in their advance directives, was followed. This deficiency was observed when a resident with a documented Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order and a signed state DNR form was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compressions by staff without first verifying the resident's code status. The nurse involved was unable to ascertain the resident's code status at the time of the event and initiated CPR based on nursing judgment, despite the presence of a DNR bracelet on the resident, which was only noticed after compressions had been administered. The nurse reported not receiving specific training from the facility on code procedures and stated that there was no clear process for calling a code or determining code status in an emergency, especially when alone with a resident experiencing a rapid change in condition. The facility's phone paging system, which is intended to alert staff to a code blue, was observed to be non-functional during the survey. Portable phones, which could also be used to call a code blue, were not available or functional on all units, and staff reported that the reception for these phones was poor and unreliable. The facility's overhead paging system, which could serve as an additional method for alerting staff, had not been functional for years. During the survey, multiple attempts to use the phone paging system failed, and it took over 20 minutes before a test page was successfully heard, after troubleshooting and adjustments to phone settings. Staff interviews revealed inconsistent knowledge and practices regarding the use of portable phones and the process for calling a code blue. Some staff were unaware that portable phones should be carried or could be used to call a code, and the education provided to staff did not clearly address this. Additionally, the facility did not have a dedicated Code Blue policy, and the documents provided to guide staff during a code event contained discrepancies about the steps to take when a staff member is alone with an unresponsive resident. These deficiencies affected residents designated as full code and had the potential to impact a significant portion of the facility's population.

Penalty

Fine: $26,130
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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 F0678 citations
Failure to Initiate CPR for a Full Code Resident
J
F0678 F678: Provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
Short Summary

A resident with acute respiratory failure and heart failure had a documented Full Code status and a POLST specifying Attempt Resuscitation/CPR and Full Treatment. During night rounds, two CNAs found the resident not breathing, cool to the touch, with yellow skin and no pulse, but did not initiate CPR or call a code blue, instead going to notify an LPN. The LPN assessed the resident, confirmed absence of vital signs, noted the body was cold with mottling and no rigor mortis, and contacted the DNS, physician, and 911 for the coroner’s number, but did not start CPR or activate a code blue. No lifesaving measures were attempted despite facility policy requiring CPR for unresponsive residents without a valid DNR and the resident’s clearly documented full code status, leading surveyors to cite Immediate Jeopardy and substandard quality of care.

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 Initiate CPR for a Full-Code Resident
L
F0678 F678: Provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
Short Summary

A resident with multiple cardiac and respiratory comorbidities, documented as cognitively intact and designated as full code by physician orders, POLST, and care plan, was found unresponsive without pulse or respirations by a CNA, who notified an LPN. The LPN, who later admitted he did not follow protocol and had not checked the medical record, assumed the resident was a no code based on appearance, told the CNA the resident was DNR, and did not initiate CPR. A second LPN was called to verify death, questioned whether CPR was needed, confirmed absence of heart sounds and respirations, but also did not start CPR; only later did this nurse review the chart, confirm the full-code status, and report the issue. The physician, DON, and Administrator all stated they would have expected CPR to be initiated in accordance with the resident’s documented wishes and facility CPR 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.
Failure to Provide CPR According to Full Code Status and Physician Orders
L
F0678 F678: Provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
Short Summary

A resident with multiple chronic conditions and a clearly documented full code status was found unresponsive, pulseless, and not breathing. Staff policy and American Heart Association guidelines required immediate, continuous CPR until advanced medical providers arrived, but video review and interviews showed that no CPR equipment was brought to the room and no continuous CPR was provided. An LPN assumed the resident was DNR because hospice services were in place and did not verify code status, while another LPN acknowledged not initiating CPR until instructed by the DON. The hospice nurse arrived to find the resident covered with no life-saving measures in progress, despite existing orders for full code, and the facility could not produce evidence that the resident’s code status was promptly verified or that CPR was continuously performed.

Fine: $13,505
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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.
Failure to Initiate Immediate CPR and Provide Adequate BLS and Oxygen Equipment for a Full-Code Resident
J
F0678 F678: Provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
Short Summary

A resident with significant cardiac history and a POLST indicating full code status became weak, developed shallow breathing, stopped talking, and became unresponsive after dinner. CNAs summoned nursing staff, but the RN focused on obtaining vital signs and verifying code status, left the resident sitting upright, and did not initiate CPR, citing a pain response as evidence of responsiveness. An LVN recognized abnormal breathing and the need to call 911 but did not start CPR, and another LVN was unaware that ventilation should be provided to an unresponsive resident with slow breathing; no staff performed chest compressions before EMS arrival. The crash cart contained only 8 L/min oxygen regulators, preventing proper BVM use at 15 L/min, and the RN could not determine that the oxygen tank was empty or correctly connect the suction machine. EMS arrived to find the resident pulseless, apneic, in asystole, and with no CPR in progress, leading surveyors to cite a deficiency for failure to provide immediate, effective BLS and CPR to a full-code resident.

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.
Inadequate CPR and Oxygenation for Full-Code Resident
D
F0678 F678: Provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
Short Summary

A resident with multiple chronic conditions and recent COVID-19 illness, who was clearly documented as full code, was found unresponsive and not breathing by a CNA, who notified an LPN. The LPN confirmed full code status, initiated chest compressions, and called 911 while the CNA assisted. When EMS arrived, staff were performing compressions and attempting ventilation with a BVM that lacked a mask and was not connected to O2, contrary to facility policy requiring use of a face mask or resuscitator bag to provide effective breaths. EMS noted the improper BVM setup, that compressions were stopped during the handoff, and that the resident was cold with rigor mortis present, indicating the facility failed to perform CPR in a manner that provided adequate oxygenation.

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 Communicate and Update Resident DNR Status Resulting in CPR Contrary to Wishes
D
F0678 F678: Provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
Short Summary

A resident with cardiac and pulmonary conditions, initially defaulted to full code status, later completed a physician-signed DNR order that was placed in an admission folder but not communicated to nursing or entered into the EMR. The Admissions Director did not forward the DNR paperwork to the SSD or DON, and the SSD created the resident’s profile as full code, leaving the hard chart, EMR, and door sticker system all reflecting full code. When the resident was found unresponsive, staff and EMS initiated and continued CPR based on the incorrect full code information, and only afterward did the SSD discover the signed DNR form in the admission packet.

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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