Failure to Provide Timely Podiatry Care for Resident with Painful Toenails
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with Alzheimer's Disease was not evaluated or treated by a podiatrist despite having thick, discolored, and long toenails. The resident was admitted to the facility in January 2025, and concerns about his toenails were first noted by his responsible party in March, who observed that the toenails were long and appeared to have fungus. The responsible party did not attempt to trim the nails due to their thickness. On observation, the resident's toenails were found to be thick, long, curved inward, and discolored yellow and black. The resident reported foot pain, and a CNA and a licensed nurse both acknowledged the condition of the toenails, with the nurse stating that the nails appeared to have fungus and could cause pain or potentially cut the skin. Further investigation revealed that the facility had a process for scheduling monthly podiatrist visits and maintaining a binder listing residents needing ancillary services, including podiatry. However, there was no evidence that the resident had received any podiatric care since admission. The facility's policy indicated that social services were responsible for making referrals for ancillary services such as podiatry, but this was not done for the resident in question.