Failure to Offer and Document COVID-19 Vaccination for New Admissions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to offer COVID-19 vaccines to three residents upon admission, as required by their policy and procedure. For each resident, record reviews and interviews revealed that they were not provided with education about the COVID-19 vaccine, nor were they screened or consented for vaccination at the time of admission. Specifically, one resident with severe cognitive impairment had not been screened or consented for the vaccine, despite having received a previous dose in 2022. Another resident, who was cognitively intact and able to make her own decisions, had no record of ever receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and was not offered information or the vaccine upon admission. The third resident, who was alert and oriented, had received a previous dose in 2023 but was also not screened or offered the vaccine or education upon admission. Interviews with the Infection Preventionist (IP) and the Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that the responsibility for screening, consenting, and administering the COVID-19 vaccine to residents upon admission lies with the IP. Both the IP and DON acknowledged that the three residents should have been screened and consented for the COVID-19 vaccine at the time of their admission, in accordance with the facility's policy. The facility's policy states that all residents are to be offered the COVID-19 vaccine unless medically contraindicated or already fully vaccinated, and that education regarding the vaccine's benefits, risks, and side effects must be provided.