Failure to Obtain Informed Consent for Bed Exit Alarms
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to obtain informed consent for the use of bed exit alarms for three residents. Medical record reviews showed that two residents lacked capacity to make decisions due to dementia, while one resident was determined to have decision-making capacity. Despite physician orders for bed exit alarms to prevent falls and injuries, there was no documentation of informed consent from either the residents or their responsible parties for the use of these devices. The facility's policy requires that residents or their responsible parties be informed and provide consent for treatments or procedures, but this was not followed in these cases. Interviews with nursing staff and the Director of Nursing confirmed that bed exit alarms were in use for all three residents and that the facility had never obtained informed consent for their use. The absence of consent was verified through both medical record review and staff statements, indicating a consistent failure to adhere to the facility's own policy regarding informed consent for the use of bed exit alarms.