Medications Left Unattended for Residents Not Assessed for Self-Administration
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff left medications unattended at the bedside of two residents who had not been assessed or approved for self-administration of medications. In one instance, a resident was observed sitting on her bed with three medication cups containing various pills left on her bedside table. The resident confirmed the medications were hers and that the nurse had left them for her to take, with no staff present in or near the room. Review of her clinical record showed she was cognitively intact but had diagnoses including hypertension, heart failure, dementia, anxiety, and depression. The DON confirmed that the resident did not have a self-administration assessment and was not considered safe to self-administer medications. Facility policy prohibits leaving medications unattended unless a resident has been assessed as safe to self-administer. In another case, a resident was found reclining on her bed with a medication cup containing a half tablet and a capsule on her overbed table. The resident stated that sometimes staff left medications at her bedside and sometimes supervised her taking them, depending on whether the staff member was familiar with her. No staff were present in the immediate area at the time. Her clinical record indicated she was cognitively intact with diagnoses including stroke, anxiety, depression, and respiratory failure. The DON stated that there were no residents in the facility currently approved to self-administer medications, and the resident's assessment indicated she required assistance with medication administration.