Failure to Offer, Administer, and Document COVID-19 Vaccinations for Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that COVID-19 vaccinations were consistently offered, administered, and re-offered to eligible residents, as required by CDC guidance. Record review and interviews revealed that for four residents over the age of 65 with multiple comorbidities, there was either no documentation of the vaccine being offered, no documentation of re-offering after initial refusal, or no documentation of vaccine administration after consent was obtained. Specifically, one resident refused the vaccine, but there was no record of it being re-offered; another had no documentation of the vaccine being offered or consent obtained; a third refused the vaccine, but again, there was no record of a re-offer; and a fourth had consent provided by a POA, but there was no documentation of vaccine administration. Interviews with facility staff, including the Infection Preventionist (IP) and MDS Coordinator, confirmed gaps in the process, such as the absence of a set schedule for re-offering the vaccine and lack of recent vaccine clinics. The last documented COVID-19 vaccine clinic was held in 2022-2023, and there was no evidence of ongoing efforts to ensure residents remained up to date with current vaccine recommendations. These findings were based on record review, CDC guidance, and staff interviews.