Delayed Medication and Wound Care Administration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide timely medication administration and wound care treatment to two residents, as identified during a recertification and complaint survey. For one resident, multiple medications were administered 2-4 hours late on various days throughout the month, as confirmed by a review of the Medication Administration Records (MAR). The resident attributed the delays to agency staff frequently used by the facility, and a registered nurse confirmed that short staffing and lack of medication aides were common reasons for late medication passes. The Director of Nursing acknowledged awareness of the issue and stated that medication times had been adjusted in an attempt to address the problem, but late administration persisted. Another resident experienced a delay in wound care and IV antibiotic administration following admission. The wound treatment order was not placed until two days after admission, and there was no documentation of wound care prior to that order. Additionally, the resident's IV antibiotic, vancomycin, was ordered a day after admission, with the first dose administered later that day, and no evidence of earlier administration. Both the Director of Nursing and the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed there were no additional orders or documentation to support earlier treatment or medication administration.