Failure to Prevent Accident Hazards Related to Medication and Sharps Storage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the resident environment was free from accident hazards and did not provide adequate supervision to prevent accidents for two residents. In one instance, a resident was found with a bottle of calcium carbonate stored in a clear plastic drawer by her bedside, which had been brought in by her daughter to address the resident's nausea. There was no documentation in the medical record indicating that the resident had been assessed for self-administration of medication, nor was there a completed Medication Self-Administration Assessment Form as required by facility policy. The facility's policy states that only residents assessed by the interdisciplinary team may self-administer medications, and medications for self-administration must be stored securely to prevent access by other residents. In another instance, a resident who is dependent on staff for personal hygiene and showers, and has a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, was found with two disposable razors on top of the air conditioner and one on the sink in her private room. The facility's Director of Nursing confirmed that sharps such as razors are not to be left in residents' rooms, yet these items were accessible to the resident. These findings demonstrate lapses in the facility's adherence to its own policies regarding medication and sharps storage, resulting in an environment that was not as free from accident hazards as possible.