Failure to Maintain Proper Catheter Care Practices
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to provide appropriate catheter care for a resident with an indwelling urinary catheter, as required by the facility's Urinary Catheter Care Policy. The policy specifies that catheter tubing and drainage bags must be kept off the floor to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Observations on multiple occasions revealed that the resident's catheter bag was lying on the floor inside a plastic bag, and the catheter tubing was also found directly on the floor. Interviews with an LPN and the DON confirmed that the catheter bag and tubing should not have been on the floor or stored in a trash bag. The resident involved had diagnoses including diabetes mellitus, heart disease, urinary retention, and dementia, with moderate cognitive impairment noted on assessment.