Failure to Date Enteral Feeding Supplies for Tube-Fed Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident with an enteral feeding tube received appropriate treatment and services to prevent potential complications. According to the facility's policy, all staff are required to follow basic guidelines for enteral feeding. Clinical record review showed that the resident had diagnoses including anemia, hemiplegia, and muscle weakness, and had a physician's order for Jevity 1.5 tube feeding via gastric tube. During an observation, the enteral feeding bottle in use for the resident was found to be labeled with an expiration date but did not have the date it was opened, and the water bag used for flushes was not dated at all. In an interview, an LPN confirmed that the bottle should have been dated when opened and acknowledged the failure to follow proper procedures, resulting in the resident not receiving care in accordance with facility policy and standards.