Delayed Re-Weight Following Significant Weight Loss
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident's weights were completed in a timely manner, as required for monitoring nutritional status and care planning. A resident with multiple diagnoses, including dysphagia, cerebral infarction, hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma, and dementia, experienced a significant weight loss of 8.4 pounds, or 6.3%, over the course of one month. The initial weight loss was identified when a weight was recorded, but the facility did not obtain a re-weight promptly to confirm the loss and address any related issues. According to the facility's policy, re-weights should be obtained within 7 days of the previous weight when significant weight loss is suspected. However, in this case, the re-weight was not completed until 6 days after the initial suspected weight loss, confirming the significant loss. This delay in obtaining a timely re-weight meant that interventions or services to address the resident's nutritional status were not implemented as quickly as required by policy.