Failure to Provide Appropriate Respiratory Care and Equipment Maintenance
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide appropriate respiratory care for a resident with diagnoses including high blood pressure, diabetes, and respiratory failure. Facility policy required that nasal cannulas and nebulizer equipment be dated, stored properly, and replaced every seven days. Physician orders also specified weekly changes for nebulizer cups, tubing, hand-held nebulizers, nasal cannulas, and protective covers, as well as proper storage and dating of equipment. During observation, the resident was found receiving oxygen via nasal cannula with no date on the tubing or humidification bottle. The nebulizer machine was present on the bedside table, with the mouthpiece left out and not stored in a bag as required. The connecting tubing was dated nearly a month prior, indicating it had not been replaced according to policy. An LPN confirmed these findings, acknowledging that the required respiratory care procedures were not followed for this resident.