Failure to Identify and Respond to UTI Symptoms in Catheterized Resident
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to ensure that a resident with an indwelling urinary catheter received appropriate treatment and services to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). The resident, an older female with a history of recurrent UTIs, obstructive and reflux uropathy, and chronic bladder spasms, began experiencing increased bladder spasms and dysuria over several days. Despite her increased requests for pain and bladder spasm medications, staff did not identify these as potential symptoms of a UTI or a change in condition, nor did they notify the nurse practitioner or physician for further assessment or order a urinalysis during this period. The resident's medical records showed a pattern of increased administration of pain and antispasmodic medications, and both family members and staff noted that her pain and discomfort were significantly worse than usual in the days leading up to her hospitalization. Family members reported the resident's increased pain and suspected a UTI to nursing staff multiple times, but no action was taken to escalate care or notify the medical provider. Nursing staff interviewed after the incident acknowledged that increased pain and use of PRN medications should have prompted further assessment and notification of the medical provider, especially given the resident's history of UTIs and catheter use. The resident eventually became lethargic and unresponsive, prompting emergency services to be called. Upon hospital admission, she was diagnosed with septic shock due to a UTI, and a suprapubic catheter was surgically placed. Interviews with staff and family confirmed that the signs and symptoms of a UTI and change in condition were present but not recognized or acted upon in a timely manner, resulting in a significant adverse event for the resident.
Removal Plan
- Resident was being treated for pain/discomfort with PRN medications prescribed to treat chronic pain/bladder spasms and was being monitored by licensed nurse. Resident was sent to hospital for evaluation & treatment.
- Regional Nurse provided in-service to DNS/Admin/Admin in-training/ADNS regarding process for ensuring changes in conditions are identified and reported to the medical provider, notification of PCP of abnormal labs, implementation of orders as provided, and documentation in the EHR of notification of change in condition to MD/NP/PA as well as any prescribed orders and notification to Resident's family or representative.
- Nurse conducting a proper assessment and documenting in the Electronic Health Record (E.H.R.).
- Notifying medical provider of the change in condition (increased pain).
- Adhering to physician's orders and recommendations.
- Communicating pertinent information regarding the status of resident's condition to ensure the well-being of residents during the nurse/shift change report.
- Documentation of the resident's status and delivery of care provided according to the plan of care.
- If the nurse is unable to reach the medical provider, they will place a call to Medical Director to ensure timely notification to the Medical Doctor, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician's assistant (MD/NP/PA).
- Nurses should conduct on-going monitoring of resident related to the change in condition and to ensure that the nurse is communicating the resident's status during change of shift and to ensure proper follow up and necessary interventions are in place and properly documenting findings, interventions and response to care provided within the Electronic Health Record (E.H.R).
- Nurses will conduct on-going monitoring of residents and specifically monitor residents with bowel/bladder issues, and indwelling catheters to identify and recognize sign/symptoms of UTI: such as flank discomfort, urinary frequency, discomfort upon urination, increased confusion, changes in mental status, changes in urine odor, color, amount of urine and hematuria.
- Nurse/Interdisciplinary team (IDT) to review the plan of care and/or updating the plan of care accordingly.
- Abuse and Neglect (ANE) - Identifying Prevention and Reporting.
- Administrator and Director of Nursing conducted an AdHoc Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) meeting with the Medical Director to review plan of removal/immediate corrective action plan implemented.
- Director of Nursing/Assistant Director of Nursing conducted 100% audit/assessment/evaluation of all current/active residents, including those with bladder and bowel issues, incontinence and indwelling catheters, to identify any signs or symptoms of a change in condition and validated that the medical provider has reported to the PCP for physician's review and to ensure appropriate plan of care is in place.
- Director of Nursing/Assistant Director of Nursing conducted an audit of all residents to identify any changes in conditions to ensure proper notification of the Medical Doctor (MD) and family representatives and to ensure appropriate interventions were in place.
- Director of Nursing/Assistant Director of Nursing conducted in-service training to all licensed nurses prior to the nurse working his/her next scheduled shift; comprehension verified through follow up questions.
- Director of Nursing/Assistant Director of Nursing will conduct rounds to identify any resident with a change in condition and will ensure appropriate documentation, notifications and appropriate interventions are in place and documented within the electronic health record.
- Director of Nursing/Assistant Director of Nursing will conduct random audits of documentation of progress notes, Medication Administration Record (MARS) (pain meds) as well as staff interviews to identify any signs and symptoms of a resident with a change in condition and will ensure appropriate documentation, notifications and appropriate interventions are in place and documented within the electronic health record.
- Director of Nursing/Assistant Director of Nursing will conduct random interviews with the nursing team members to identify competency/comprehension of identifying signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection, increased pain, and other signs of a change in condition as well as the process for reporting the identified change in condition to the license nurse, the process for the nurse to conduct an assessment, will ensure appropriate documentation, MD and family notifications as well as ensuring appropriate interventions are in place and documented within the electronic health record.
- The facility will conduct a Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) meeting to review the status and compliance notification to Medical Doctor, Nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant (MD/NP/PA) ensuring appropriate intervention and orders are implemented as ordered and appropriate documentation is noted within the Electronic Health Record (E.H.R.).
- Director of Nursing/Designee will ensure all licensed nursing staff will be educated to include nurses on leave/agency/Part time staff (PRN staff) - Nurses will be in serviced prior to working their next shift.
- DNS/Designee will ensure administrative nursing staff in the community will provide in-service/education prior to team members working their assigned shift. The trainings will also be conducted with new hires.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
A resident with an indwelling urinary catheter, ordered for urinary retention related to hydronephrosis, was observed in bed with the catheter collection bag lying flat on the floor beside the bed and containing urine. The resident said an aide had helped her back to bed after breakfast, and one aide confirmed she assisted the resident but forgot to hang the bag from the bed frame as she normally would. The DON and Administrator stated catheter bags were expected to be kept off the floor.
Catheter care and securement were not maintained for three residents with indwelling catheters. One resident's drainage bag was found lying in bed with tubing under the leg and no strap in place, another resident's tubing was under the leg with no strap present, and a third resident received catheter care from a CNA who cleansed the catheter using a back-and-forth motion and reused the same wipe instead of cleaning away from the penis in one direction. The DON and other staff stated the bag should be below the bladder, the strap should secure the tubing, and catheter care should be performed using proper technique.
A resident with a catheter for neurogenic bladder, impaired cognition, and total bowel/bladder incontinence had a catheter drainage bag repeatedly observed hooked on a wheelchair arm rest above bladder level. The tubing contained urine that had not drained down, the resident tried to move the tubing to drain it, and staff interviews confirmed the bag should have been positioned below the bladder; one RN also stated the resident was on antibiotics for a bladder infection.
Foley Bag Placed at Bladder Level During Care: A resident with an indwelling Foley catheter, severe cognitive impairment, and obstructive uropathy had his drainage bag emptied and then placed on the bed at bladder level during perineal care. Observation showed urine moving back toward the catheter insertion site while the resident was repositioned. Staff interviews confirmed the bag should remain below the bladder at all times, and the facility policy required the drainage bag to be positioned lower than the bladder to prevent backflow.
A resident with a Foley catheter was observed with the tubing not secured to the leg during care, and staff acknowledged it should have been secured to prevent pulling and injury. In a separate observation, two CNAs provided incontinent care to another resident with bowel incontinence and an indwelling catheter but did not clean the inner thighs or right buttock area before applying a clean brief, despite the care plan and facility policy requiring thorough perineal cleansing.
A resident with a catheter was observed with the catheter bag and tubing exposed outside the privacy bag and resting directly on the floor, and the resident moved the wheelchair over the bag. An RN later confirmed that catheter bag and tubing should not be in direct contact with the floor.
Catheter Bag Left on Floor Beside Bed
Penalty
Summary
Failure to provide appropriate catheter care occurred for a resident with an indwelling urinary catheter. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including overactive bladder, hydronephrosis, and bladder-neck obstruction, and the physician ordered a urethral catheter for urinary retention related to hydronephrosis, with instructions to ensure the tubing was patent and the catheter was in a privacy bag. The resident’s assessment identified the resident as cognitively intact and coded the resident as having an indwelling catheter, and the care plan included interventions to position the catheter bag and tubing below the level of the bladder. During an observation, the resident was in bed with visitors present, and the urinary catheter collection bag was lying flat on the floor beside the bed with urine in the bag. The resident stated a nurse aide had assisted her back to bed after breakfast and that she had not touched the catheter bag. One nurse aide stated she had not assisted the resident, while another nurse aide confirmed she assisted the resident back to bed and stated she normally hangs catheter bags from the bed frame when residents are returned to bed, but acknowledged she must have forgotten to do so in this instance. The DON and Administrator both stated the facility expected catheter bags to be kept off the floor and hung from the bed frame when a resident was in bed.
Catheter Care and Securement Not Maintained
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure appropriate catheter care and catheter securement for three residents with indwelling catheters. Resident #20 had diagnoses including respiratory failure, anoxic brain damage, overactive bladder, and urinary retention, and was dependent for ADLs with severe cognitive impairment. Her care plan directed staff to keep the drainage bag below the bladder at all times, and the order summary required the catheter strap to be in place and holding every shift. During observation, her catheter drainage bag was lying in the bed at the foot of the bed, the tubing was under her right leg and curled on the bed, and no catheter strap was present. RN B stated the drainage bag was not in the right place. Resident #46 had diagnoses including respiratory failure, quadriplegia, epileptic seizure, and dysphagia, and was also severely cognitively impaired and dependent for ADLs. His care plan included catheter care under enhanced barrier precautions, and the order summary required the catheter strap to be in place and holding every shift. During observation, his catheter tubing was under his right leg and no catheter strap was in place. LVN A stated the resident had a shower that day and may have come off in the shower, and he verified that there was an order for the catheter strap to be in place. Resident #7 had a history of cerebral infarction, hemiplegia and hemiparesis, and urinary tract infection, with severe impairment in cognitive skills for daily decision making. His care plan directed staff to ensure tubing was anchored to the resident's leg or linens so it was not pulling on the urethra. During observation, CNA E provided catheter and incontinence care while the resident was without a leg strap for the catheter tubing. CNA E cleansed the catheter by rubbing it back and forth at the point where it met the penis and then used the same wipe again in a manner that did not follow the expected one-direction cleansing technique. The DON later stated staff were expected to clean away from the penis in one fluid motion and not go back with the same soiled wipe.
Catheter Drainage Bag Positioned Above Bladder Level
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a catheter drainage bag remained below the level of the bladder for a resident with a catheter for neurogenic bladder. The resident’s quarterly MDS identified moderately impaired cognition, rejection of care one to 3 days, dependence on staff for dressing, bed mobility, and toileting, and that the resident was always incontinent of bowel and bladder with intermittent catheterization. The care plan directed staff to position the catheter bag and tubing below the level of the bladder, and the facility’s urinary catheter care policy stated the drainage bag should be held or positioned lower than the bladder to prevent backflow. During observation, the resident’s catheter drainage bag was repeatedly found hooked on the wheelchair arm rest above the level of the bladder while the resident was in the commons area and later in the dining room. The catheter tubing contained urine that had not drained down, and the resident stated he was moving the tubing to try to get urine to drain into the bag. Staff interviews confirmed the bag should have been below the bladder for drainage, and one RN stated the resident was on antibiotics for a bladder infection. Multiple staff observed the incorrect placement, and nursing staff did not intervene while the resident was at an activity for about 1 and 1/2 hours.
Foley Bag Placed at Bladder Level During Incontinent Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure appropriate catheter care for a resident with an indwelling Foley catheter. Resident #38 was admitted with diagnoses including obstructive and reflux uropathy, dementia, and age-related physical debility. The resident’s MDS reflected severe cognitive impairment with a BIMS score of 07, and the care plan identified the need for an indwelling Foley catheter due to obstructive uropathy related to penile and scrotal swelling, along with a potential for UTI. The care plan also directed staff to keep the urine collection bag below the level of the bladder and off the floor at all times. During observation of perineal care, the resident’s urine collection bag was removed from the bed frame after being emptied and placed inside a clear plastic bag on the resident’s bed next to his left leg. At that time, the Foley bag was at the level of the resident’s bladder. The observation further showed yellow urine moving from the middle of the catheter toward the insertion site at the resident’s penis while the resident was repositioned from his back to his right side. The Foley bag remained on the bed until the incontinent care was completed. Interviews confirmed that staff understood the bag should remain below the bladder to prevent backflow of urine, and the CNA acknowledged it was his mistake that the bag was placed on the bed. The DON stated she instructed the CNA to empty the bag, cover it with a plastic bag, and place it on the bed during care. The facility’s catheter care policy stated that the urinary drainage bag must be held or positioned lower than the bladder at all times to prevent urine from flowing back into the urinary bladder.
Unsecured Foley Catheter and Incomplete Incontinent Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure appropriate catheter care for a resident with an indwelling Foley catheter. Resident #7 was admitted with obstructive and reflux uropathy, had an order for a Foley catheter with a leg strap to be monitored each shift and as needed, and had a care plan addressing catheter-related trauma and urinary infection prevention. During observed catheter care, the Foley catheter tubing was not secured to the resident’s leg. CNA D and CNA E both stated they did not notice the catheter was unsecured, and both acknowledged that the catheter should be secured to prevent twisting, pulling, and injury. The DON also stated that indwelling catheters should be secure to prevent pulling and possible injury. The facility also failed to provide complete incontinent care for a resident who was incontinent of bowel and had an indwelling catheter. Resident #34 had severe cognitive impairment, was dependent on staff for toileting and personal hygiene, and had a care plan directing staff to cleanse the perineal area with mild cleanser after each episode. During observed incontinent care, CNA J and CNA G cleaned the penis, scrotum, and catheter tubing, and cleaned the left buttock and perineum after the resident had a small bowel movement. However, after the soiled brief was removed and a clean brief was placed, neither CNA cleaned the resident’s inner thigh areas or the right buttock area. During interview, CNA J stated she was not aware that the inner thighs and right buttock had not been cleaned and said those areas should have been wiped. CNA G stated she had received training on incontinent care and acknowledged that if the inner thigh and buttock areas were not properly cleaned, the resident could get an infection. The facility’s perineal/incontinent care policy stated that for a male resident staff should wipe the perineal area including the penis, scrotum, inner thighs, and rectal area thoroughly, including under the scrotum, the anus, and the buttocks.
Catheter Bag and Tubing Left in Contact With Floor
Penalty
Summary
Appropriate catheter care was not provided for Resident R144, who was observed seated in a wheelchair in the entrance of the resident's assigned room with the catheter bag outside of the privacy bag. Approximately the bottom third of the catheter bag and the tubing were resting directly on the floor, and the resident moved the wheelchair and ran over the exposed catheter bag. When the situation was brought to RN15's attention, RN15 secured the catheter bag and tubing off the floor. RN15 confirmed that appropriate treatment and care of the catheter bag and tubing was to ensure it was not in direct contact with the floor.
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release July 29, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
In your survey window? See what surveyors are citing.
The Survey-Prep Report maps your facility's risk from 12 months of CMS and state citation data — what's being cited around you and what to check first. $129 one-time.