Failure to Conduct and Document Required Emergency Preparedness Exercise
Penalty
Summary
Armstrong Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to maintain compliance with federal emergency preparedness requirements by not conducting, testing, and evaluating a full-scale exercise of its emergency plan. During a documentation review, surveyors found that the facility lacked records to verify that such an exercise had been planned or executed as required by regulation. The deficiency was confirmed through interviews with both the administrator and the maintenance supervisor, who acknowledged the absence of documentation related to the full-scale emergency exercise. This lack of evidence indicated that the facility did not meet the annual requirement to participate in a community-based or facility-based functional exercise to test its emergency preparedness plan. No information was provided in the report regarding specific residents, their medical histories, or their conditions at the time of the deficiency. The deficiency was identified during a Medicare/Medicaid Recertification Survey, and the finding was based solely on the facility's failure to document and perform the required emergency preparedness testing.
Plan Of Correction
The systematic change will be to have a full-scale exercise and training so the emergency plan can be tested and evaluated. The Administrator or designee will monitor the training to make sure it occurs and all employees have signed off receiving the training. Going forward, a planned full-scale exercise will be scheduled with local emergency personnel so the emergency plan can be tested and evaluated. Monthly Quality Assurance meetings will review training guidelines. The full-scale exercise will be completed by January 31, 2026. E 0039