Medications Left Unattended at Bedside
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a medication cup containing two pills was observed on a resident's overbed table, with the resident unaware of their presence or how long they had been there. The resident, who was cognitively intact and required minimal assistance for activities of daily living, had been admitted with diagnoses including cerebral infarction, hypertension, and muscle weakness. There was no assessment in the medical record for the resident's ability to self-administer medications. The assigned LPN reported having provided the medications to the resident while attending to the resident's roommate but did not ensure the medications were taken at that time. The LPN was unaware of why the medications had not been taken and only observed the resident take them after being prompted. The facility's Director of Nursing confirmed that medications should not be left at the bedside and that nurses are expected to watch residents take their medications. The facility's policy on medication storage did not address the issue of medications being left at the bedside.