Failure to Follow Edema Management Orders
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to follow physician orders for edema management for a resident with chronic edema. The resident had an order to apply edema wear to her lower extremities in the morning and remove it at night. Observations showed the resident was not wearing the prescribed compression stockings during the day, despite staff documentation indicating the task had been completed. The resident reported needing assistance to put on the stockings, which were wet from being washed and left hanging in the bathroom. Staff continued to document that the edema wear was applied and removed as ordered, even though the resident was not wearing them. The resident had a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, obesity, developmental disorder, and edema, and was taking a diuretic. She was cognitively intact and independent with daily activities but required help with the compression stockings. The facility did not have a specific policy on edema management, but staff were expected to follow physician orders. The failure to ensure the resident wore the prescribed edema wear as ordered constituted a deficiency in providing care according to the resident's needs and physician instructions.