Failure to Identify and Address PTSD Triggers in Trauma-Informed Care
Summary
The facility failed to provide trauma-informed care to a resident with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The facility's policy on trauma-informed and culturally competent care requires staff to develop individualized care plans that address past trauma, identify triggers, and minimize exposure to those triggers in collaboration with the resident and family. However, review of the resident's care plan showed that while it acknowledged the risk for decreased psychosocial well-being and adjustment issues related to a history of assault with a weapon, it did not identify specific PTSD triggers or outline strategies to avoid them. Further review of the resident's clinical record confirmed the diagnosis of PTSD, along with anemia and a hip fracture. During an interview, the Social Services Director acknowledged that the facility did not identify or address the resident's PTSD triggers, which is necessary to eliminate or mitigate potential re-traumatization. This deficiency was cited under the relevant state codes for responsibility of the licensee and management.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to identify PTSD triggers in care planning: A resident with schizophrenia, PTSD, and insomnia had a BIMS score of 3 and documented delusions and disorganized thinking with rejection of care. Although a Trauma Informed Care Assessment noted PTSD, the care plan only addressed general behavior issues and did not identify trauma-related triggers or include interventions to prevent re-traumatization, despite the facility policy requiring assessment of triggers and individualized trauma-informed interventions.
Failure to complete a comprehensive trauma screening assessment on admission for a resident with anxiety disorder and insomnia. The resident and RP reported a history of domestic violence, but the chart had no trauma screening or trauma-informed care plan. The DON said the trauma history was unknown because the assessment was never completed, and the Medical Director and former SW stated that trauma screening was not being done for new admissions.
A resident with PTSD and moderate cognitive impairment had a documented history of abuse, but the facility did not complete the trauma symptoms and triggers portion of the trauma-informed assessment and did not include PTSD or trigger-based interventions in the care plan. Staff interviews showed the resident preferred that staff knock, introduce themselves, and use a suggested approach rather than telling her what to do, yet staff did not know her triggers and the SWD stated the assessment section was not completed because PTSD was not present at admission.
A resident with PTSD was not assessed for specific trauma triggers or given documented trauma-informed interventions to prevent or minimize re-traumatization. The care plan noted the PTSD was related to laying on the floor for days, and the DON stated the trigger assessment should have been completed when the resident received a new PTSD diagnosis from the facility psychiatrist.
Failure to identify PTSD triggers and complete a trauma-informed care plan for a resident with PTSD, Parkinson’s disease, and anxiety disorder. The resident’s trauma-informed assessment identified the resident as a trauma survivor, but no triggers were documented to avoid re-traumatization, and the care plan lacked PTSD triggers or interventions. The RN, NA, and LPN all acknowledged the absence of documented triggers/interventions, and social services stated the assessment was completed but was unaware of responsibility for the care plan.
A resident with chronic PTSD, psychotic disorder, and impaired cognition did not have his specific PTSD triggers identified in the care plan. The care plan noted a history of incarceration, paranoia, and behaviors that could escalate with anxiety or perceived threat, but it did not list triggers such as loud noises or men trying to boss him. The resident said no one had asked about triggers, and the SW, ADON, and MDS Coordinator acknowledged the triggers should have been documented.
Failure to Identify PTSD Triggers in Care Planning
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide trauma-informed and culturally competent care for a resident with diagnoses of schizophrenia, PTSD, and insomnia. The resident’s admission MDS documented a BIMS score of three, indicating severely impaired cognition, and also noted delusions and PTSD. A CAA documented disorganized thinking with rejection of care, while also stating the resident was able to communicate wants and needs and that the BIMS was not fully accurate because the resident refused to participate in the assessment. The resident’s care plan, revised on 07/31/2026, addressed behavior problems, medication administration, monitoring for side effects, communication approaches, and general behavior management interventions, but it did not identify PTSD-related triggers or include interventions to prevent re-traumatization. The EMR contained a Trauma Informed Care Assessment dated 06/05/2026 that documented PTSD but provided no further information. Social Services stated the assessment was attempted but the resident refused to disclose prior trauma, and stated the care plan should reflect the PTSD diagnosis and provide staff direction on things that could cause re-traumatization. The facility’s Trauma-Informed Care policy required assessment of triggers and individualized interventions to minimize or eliminate re-traumatization.
Failure to Complete Trauma Screening on Admission
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a comprehensive trauma screening assessment for a newly admitted resident who had diagnoses including anxiety disorder and insomnia. Resident #58 was admitted with a cognitively intact MDS assessment, but the medical record contained no comprehensive trauma screening and no trauma-informed care plan. The resident’s Responsible Party stated that the resident had a history of domestic violence, and the resident also stated that she had a history of domestic violence and could not recall being asked questions about that history or any other evaluation for past trauma. The DON stated that a comprehensive trauma assessment should have been completed on all residents by the Social Worker upon admission and quarterly, and that any trauma history would have been care planned. The DON said Resident #58’s history of domestic violence was unknown because the assessment was never completed, and that the resident would have been care planned for no male caregivers had the history been known. The Medical Director stated that the Provider did not conduct any form of trauma screening on new admissions, and the previous facility Social Worker stated that she had not completed trauma screenings on newly admitted residents or as part of ongoing assessments. The Administrator stated that a comprehensive trauma assessment should have been completed by the Social Worker or designee on each resident to evaluate for trauma history and possible triggers.
Failure to Complete Trauma-Informed Assessment and Care Plan for Resident with PTSD
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a comprehensive trauma-informed assessment for a resident with a diagnosis of PTSD to identify and address potential triggers. The resident’s CAA documented a history of abuse from past boyfriends/husbands, emotional abuse from parents, dyslexia, and prior counseling that helped with self-worth and assertiveness. The resident also reported wanting contact with a childhood friend in Mexico City and stated things had been going well, but the CAM/PHQ-2 to 9/PHQ-9-OV/Trauma observation did not include the trauma symptoms and triggers section. The resident’s quarterly MDS identified moderate cognitive impairment and PTSD, but the care plan revision did not identify PTSD or interventions for known triggers. Nursing documentation and interviews showed the resident preferred staff to knock, introduce themselves, and make suggestions rather than tell her what to do; she also preferred to stay in her room and became upset when approached in a way she perceived as bossy. Staff interviews confirmed the resident had a history of abuse, but they did not know her triggers, and the DON stated the social work designee was responsible for the trauma-informed assessment and care planning. The social work designee stated the trauma-informed care assessments were done annually and did not complete the trauma symptoms and triggers section because the resident did not have PTSD when admitted, although the resident later had been diagnosed with PTSD.
Failure to Assess PTSD Triggers and Provide Trauma-Informed Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident with a diagnosis of PTSD was assessed and received trauma-informed care to eliminate or mitigate triggers. Review of the resident’s quarterly MDS showed the resident was cognitively intact, dependent on staff for daily care needs, and had PTSD. The care plan documented that the PTSD was related to laying on the floor for days, but there was no documented evidence that the facility identified the resident’s specific triggers that could re-traumatize the resident or implemented measures for staff to prevent or minimize those triggers. The DON stated in interview that the resident had been seen by a psychiatrist at the facility and had a new PTSD diagnosis, and that the assessment for triggers should have been completed at that time.
Failure to Identify PTSD Triggers and Complete Trauma-Informed Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to identify trauma triggers and failed to develop an individualized trauma-informed care plan for one resident with a history of trauma. The resident’s MDS assessment showed intact cognition with no hallucinations, delusions, behaviors, or rejection of care, and the resident’s diagnoses included PTSD, Parkinson’s disease without dyskinesia, and an anxiety disorder. A trauma-informed assessment identified the resident as a trauma survivor, but no triggers were identified to avoid potential re-traumatization. The resident’s current care plan, revised on 6/26/26, did not include any PTSD triggers or interventions. During interviews, the RN stated that residents with PTSD should be assessed for triggers and that those triggers should be documented on the care plan; after reviewing the care plan, the RN acknowledged that trauma-informed care planning was lacking. The NA stated awareness of the resident’s PTSD diagnosis but could not locate triggers or interventions on the care plan or Kardex. The LPN stated awareness of the PTSD diagnosis but was not aware of any specific triggers or interventions. Social services stated that the trauma-informed care assessment had been completed but was unaware of responsibility for completing the trauma-informed care plan.
Failure to Identify PTSD Triggers in Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a resident with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) received trauma-informed care that identified his specific triggers. The resident’s record showed diagnoses including chronic PTSD, impulse disorder, and psychotic disorder with hallucinations. His quarterly MDS reflected a BIMS score of 9, indicating moderately impaired cognition, and he was assessed as feeling down, depressed, or hopeless and as having delusions. The comprehensive care plan noted the resident was at risk for emotional and/or physical symptoms associated with distressing events and an increased inability to cope related to PTSD. It also documented a history of incarceration, delusions, paranoia, and longstanding mistrust of others, with behaviors that could include verbal aggression, racially derogatory statements, refusal of care, and escalating behaviors during increased anxiety or perceived threat. However, the care plan did not include a focus area identifying the resident’s possible PTSD triggers. During interview, the resident stated no one in the facility had asked him what might trigger a PTSD episode. He reported that loud noises, people talking very loudly, and men trying to boss him reminded him of being in jail and made him nervous and mad. The ADON, Social Worker, and MDS Coordinator each stated the resident’s PTSD triggers should have been identified and documented, and the Social Worker acknowledged she was not aware of the specific triggers and that the care plan was not specific enough.
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