Medications Left Unattended in Resident Room Without Proper Supervision
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident, who had a history of hemiplegia and hemiparesis following a stroke and was cognitively intact, was observed with a medication cup containing six pills left unattended on a stand in their room. The observation occurred in the morning, and the pills were confirmed by the RN to be the resident's morning medications. The RN explained that the resident had a physician order stating that nursing staff should not stand over him while he took his medications, but could observe from a visual distance to ensure all medication was taken. Despite this order, the Director of Nursing confirmed that the resident did not have approval to self-administer medications, and facility policy required nurses to observe residents taking their medications unless self-administration was specifically authorized by a physician. The failure to ensure the medications were administered as required and not left unattended in the resident's room constituted a breach in safe medication storage and administration practices.