Medication Carts Left Unlocked and Unattended
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that medication carts were left unlocked and unattended in two separate areas of the facility. On the locked memory care unit, a medication cart was found in a common area and remained unlocked while staff walked past it multiple times. Similarly, on the 100 wing, another medication cart was observed being left unlocked for an extended period while staff, including a registered nurse and a licensed practical nurse, walked past it and left it out of direct eyesight. The cart was only locked after several minutes had passed. During interviews, the registered nurse confirmed that the medication cart was left unlocked for an unknown amount of time and was not within her direct line of sight. The director of nursing stated that the expectation is for medication carts to be locked any time the nurse is away and out of eyesight, emphasizing the importance of this practice, especially in the dementia unit where residents have memory impairments. The facility was unable to provide a policy regarding medication cart security when requested.