Inaccurate MDS Assessment of Resident's Wandering Behavior
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the accuracy of a quarterly Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment for one resident. Record review showed that the resident, who had a diagnosis of non-Alzheimer's dementia and was identified in the care plan as an elopement risk with wandering behaviors, was found outside the building without staff knowledge. Despite this incident occurring prior to the completion of the quarterly MDS, the assessment did not reflect the resident's wandering behavior. The MDS Coordinator confirmed that the MDS should have indicated wandering behaviors but did not, resulting in an inaccurate assessment. The Director of Nursing acknowledged the incident but could not confirm the accuracy of the MDS assessment as she was not responsible for its completion.