Failure to Offer and Document COVID-19 Vaccination for Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the COVID-19 immunization was offered to residents, as required by policy. Record reviews for four residents with various medical conditions, including cerebral palsy, COPD, heart failure, diabetes, demyelinating disease, paraplegia, asthma, cellulitis, MRSA infection, and altered mental status, revealed no evidence that these residents were offered the COVID-19 vaccine. All four residents had intact cognition according to their Minimum Data Set assessments. Interviews with the Regional Director of Clinical Services confirmed that the facility was unable to locate documentation of COVID-19 vaccine consent or refusal for these residents. The facility's policy required that residents be offered the vaccine, sign consent prior to administration, and that documentation of consent or refusal be retained in the medical record. However, for these residents, there was no such documentation present.