Incomplete neurological monitoring and missing fall event documentation
Summary
Facility staff failed to consistently complete neurological assessments and event documentation after falls for six sampled residents. The facility policy required an event report for unusual or unexpected events such as falls, and the neurological monitoring form required checks for 72 hours after an unwitnessed fall or head injury. Review of records showed missing neurological checks and missing fall event reports for residents #4, #5, #8, #16, #20, and #42 after multiple falls, including unwitnessed falls and falls with bruising, skin tears, hematomas, or no apparent injury. Resident #4, who was severely cognitively impaired, used a wheelchair, and required partial to moderate assistance with mobility, had two unwitnessed falls. One fall caused bruising to the right side of the face and the other had no injury; the record did not contain neurological checks for the first fall and did not contain nine of 17 checks for the second, and no event reports were documented for either fall. Resident #5, who was severely cognitively impaired, used a wheelchair, had one-sided upper extremity impairment, and was dependent on staff for all mobility, had an unwitnessed fall with a skin tear and another fall with no injury; the record did not contain 11 of 17 neurological checks for the first and eight of 17 for the second. Resident #8, who had moderate cognitive impairment, used a wheelchair, required substantial to maximal assistance for mobility, and had a diagnosis of non-traumatic brain dysfunction, had two unwitnessed falls; the record did not contain seven of 17 neurological checks for one fall and did not contain completed neurological checks for the other, and no event reports were documented. Resident #16, who was severely cognitively impaired, used a wheelchair, required supervision or touch assist with mobility, and had diagnoses including non-traumatic brain dysfunction, cancer, and high blood pressure, had three unwitnessed falls with missing neurological checks. Resident #20, who was severely cognitively impaired and required supervision or touch assist with walking, had multiple falls including unwitnessed falls with skin tears, reopening of a scab, a fall with no apparent injury and ER evaluation, and a witnessed fall with a hematoma to the back of the head; the record lacked neurological checks or had incomplete checks that consisted only of vital signs, and no fall event reports were documented. Resident #42, who was severely cognitively impaired, used a walker and wheelchair, and required partial to moderate assistance with mobility, had two unwitnessed falls; the record did not contain neurological checks for one fall and lacked five of 17 checks for the other, with the completed checks consisting only of vital signs, and no event report was documented for the bruising fall.
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