Failure to Assess, Obtain Consent, and Guide Side Rail Use
Summary
The facility failed to assess residents for safe use of side rails, failed to obtain informed consent for side rail use, and did not have a policy that gave staff guidance for assessing residents for side rails that were not used as restraints. The facility identified 14 residents with side rails, and the sample included 18 residents. The facility’s Use of Restraints policy defined physical restraints and stated that the definition depended on the resident’s functional status, but it did not provide procedural guidance for side rails, grab bars, or enabling devices that were not used to restrict movement. Resident #35 had diagnoses including neurofibromatosis, no physician order for side rails, no nursing assessment for side rails, and no signed consent. The resident’s MDS showed cognitive intactness, impairment of both upper and lower extremities, dependence for bed mobility, and bed rails used less than daily. The care plan addressed ADL deficits and total dependence for repositioning and turning, but did not identify side rail use. The resident was observed in bed with full-length side rails raised on both sides, and the resident stated he/she had minimal movement of the arms due to tumors on the spine, could not turn independently, and was not sure why the rails were on the bed because he/she could not use them. RN B stated he/she did not think the resident had side rails because the resident could not move the arms. Resident #11 had diagnoses including dementia and a history of stroke, with no physician order, no nursing assessment, and no signed consent for side rails. The MDS showed memory problems and partial to moderate assistance needed for bed mobility. The care plan stated the resident had 1/4 rails to increase independence in transferring and/or bed mobility, but the resident was observed with U-shaped rails raised on both sides of the bed at the head of the bed, and the resident said he/she did not know what the rails were or what to do with them. Resident #48 had diagnoses including morbid obesity, generalized muscle weakness, lack of coordination, and abnormal posture, with no physician order, no nursing assessment, and no signed consent. The MDS showed cognitive intactness, bilateral lower extremity impairment, and dependence for bed mobility. The care plan stated the resident required maximum assistance and used two half-length side rails to assist with bed mobility. The resident was observed with half-length rails raised on both sides of the bed, said he/she used the rails for positioning, and RN A said the resident used side rails for repositioning. Resident #10 had diagnoses including generalized muscle weakness and anxiety, with no physician order, no nursing assessment, and no signed consent for side rails. The MDS showed cognitive intactness and dependence for bed mobility. The care plan stated the resident used 1/4 rails to increase bed mobility due to impaired mobility, and the resident was observed with halo-shaped rails raised on both sides of the bed. The resident said he/she used the rails when he/she wanted to sit up, and RN A said the resident used side rails for repositioning. Resident #49 had diagnoses including morbid obesity and generalized muscle weakness, with no physician order and no signed consent. A Device/Restraint evaluation dated 11/21/24 was marked in progress and identified side rails as the device with bed positioning or transferring as the medical symptoms necessitating it. The MDS showed cognitive intactness, dependence for bed mobility, and bed rails used daily. The care plan stated the resident used 1/4 rail to increase independence with bed mobility and included completing initial assessment and consent per facility protocol, but the resident was observed with quarter-length rails raised on both sides of the bed and said he/she used the side rails for repositioning. Resident #2 had diagnoses including right-sided hemiplegia and hemiparesis, aphasia, and Parkinson’s disease. The resident was observed multiple times in a low bed with 1/2 rails up on both sides. The assessments showed no documented evaluation for safe use of bed rails, there was no active physician order for bed rails, and the care plan did not mention side rail use or the need to evaluate the resident for the device. RN A stated the resident used side rails for mobility. Staff interviews showed RN C said any resident with side rails requires a safety assessment and that a physician order is obtained if the resident is deemed safe, while RN A said nurses should complete an assessment on admission and that documentation of consent was not required. The Director of Rehabilitation said therapy could assess residents for side rails and obtain or route the physician order, but could not locate side rail assessments for Residents #35, #11, #48, #10, or #49. The DON stated that when residents have side rails, nurses must obtain signed consent and document it, and that nurses should complete an assessment for safe use of side rails, though she and the Administrator were unsure how often reassessments were done.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to assess and obtain consent before bed rail use for two residents. Two cognitively intact residents with diagnoses including AFib, HTN, arthritis, CAD, and HF were observed with bed rails on their beds even though their MDSs indicated no bedrail use. Both records lacked a bedrail assessment, consent, and education, and the DON confirmed no assessment had been completed before the rails were installed.
A resident with severe cognitive impairment and total dependence for care fell from bed after an air mattress was set too high for the resident’s weight, causing the mattress to overinflate and push the resident into a siderail. The resident’s arm became trapped in the rail and the resident sustained neck and sternum injuries. The record also showed no siderail entrapment assessment for the resident, and multiple other residents with air mattresses and siderails also lacked documented side rail assessments.
A facility failed to complete ongoing reassessments of bed siderail safety for a resident with severe cognitive impairment and total dependence for bed mobility. The resident continued using the siderails for months without the required review, and later developed bruising and a traumatic posterior shoulder dislocation after the arm was reportedly caught in the rail. An internal investigation and later assessment found the siderails were unsafe and no longer indicated.
Failure to Assess and Obtain Consent for Bed Rail Use: Two residents had one-quarter bed rails in place with physician orders for positioning and mobility, but the clinical record lacked documented bed rail safety assessments and signed informed consent. One resident had moderately impaired cognition and the other had severely impaired cognition; both were observed with the rails up and locked in place. The ADM and DON acknowledged the assessments and consents were missed, and staff stated the required documentation should have been completed before bed rail use.
A resident with acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia, Type 2 DM with hyperglycemia, generalized muscle weakness, and impaired cognition was placed in four locked bed rails for fall risk. The record showed only one alternative intervention, one-to-one activities and supervision, with no documented evidence explaining why it was ineffective, and the DON stated there was no documented active order for a low bed or other alternative. The resident was observed asleep with all four bed rails up and locked, and the care plan and active orders did not show monitoring for safe bed rail use.
Failure to Assess Bed Rail Entrapment Risk: A resident with severe cognitive impairment and multiple medical conditions was placed in a bed with assist rails without documented assessment for appropriateness, documented alternatives, or informed consent. Staff later found the resident with his head and neck trapped between the mattress and the assist bar, unresponsive and not breathing, and CPR was started before EMS transported him to the hospital. The resident was admitted with cardiac arrest and diffuse hypoxic injury and later expired.
Failure to Assess and Obtain Consent Before Bed Rail Use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to comprehensively assess and attempt alternatives before using bed rails for 2 of 6 residents reviewed for bed rail use. R55’s MDS indicated she was cognitively intact and had diagnoses including atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, and arthritis. Although Section P of the MDS indicated R55 did not use bedrails, during observation on 7/6/26 her bed had half-length bed rails attached to both sides. R55 stated the rails had been there since admission and that she did not routinely use them. Her medical record lacked an assessment, consent, and education for bedrail use. R16’s quarterly MDS indicated he was cognitively intact and had diagnoses including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and high blood pressure. Section P of the MDS indicated R16 did not use bedrails, but during observation on 7/6/26 his bed had quarter bed rails attached to both sides. R16 stated he did not use them and could not recall how long they had been on his bed. His medical record also lacked an assessment, consent, and education for bedrail use. The DON stated a resident using bedrails required an assessment for appropriateness, a physician’s order, consent, and education, and confirmed R55 and R16 had not had a bedrail assessment prior to installation.
Failure to Assess Bed Rail Entrapment Risk and Mattress Settings
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to assess residents for risk of entrapment from bed siderails and failed to calibrate an alternating air flow mattress setting for a resident’s weight. The report states that these failures resulted in one resident’s mattress becoming overinflated, which caused the resident to fall into the bedrail and to the floor. During the fall, the resident’s arm became entrapped in the bedrail and the resident was unable to reposition the head and neck away from the rail, resulting in neck and sternum injuries. The affected resident had diagnoses including unspecified dementia with agitation, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis with a history of left femur fracture, generalized muscle weakness, unsteadiness on feet, need for assistance, and abnormalities of gait and mobility. The resident’s MDS documented severe cognitive impairment and total dependence on staff for all ADLs, including bed mobility and transfers. The resident’s care plan included use of a low-air-loss mattress, but the record did not contain a side rail assessment to determine risk for entrapment or safety before siderails were used. After the fall, the resident was found sitting on the floor with the face and arm by the side rail, with bruising and abrasions/tears to the neck and bruising to the neck and sternum area. The fall investigation documented that the resident slid off the side of the bed and that the low air loss mattress appeared to be set for a much heavier weight than the resident’s actual weight. The investigation did not identify side rail involvement as part of the root cause or include an intervention related to the siderail. The report also states that 10 additional residents reviewed for side rails and accidents had no side rail assessments in their records, and all had air mattresses and bed siderails in place.
Failure to Reassess Bed Siderail Safety Led to Resident Injury
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the correct use and ongoing reassessment of bed siderails for one resident who had severely impaired cognition and was totally dependent on staff for bed mobility. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease and polyosteoarthritis, and a Quarterly MDS assessment showed a BIMS score of 4 out of 15, indicating severely impaired cognition. The record showed that the resident continued to use bed siderails, but the facility did not document the required reassessments of the continued need for and safety of the siderails for approximately 15 months after the last reassessment. After the resident was found with bruising to the right armpit and right posterior arm, the resident was transferred to the Emergency Department and diagnosed with a closed traumatic posterior dislocation of the right shoulder. Because of the resident's cognitive impairment, the resident could not recall how the injuries occurred. In the facility's internal investigation, the former DNS stated that the bruise appeared shaped like the side rail, with striations matching the bars on the rail, and that the resident slept on the right side with the arm around the side rail. The statement indicated the arm likely became caught in the siderail and the shoulder was dislocated when the resident tried to pull it out. The facility's records did not show evidence that the required ongoing reassessments were completed after 2/4/2025 to determine whether the bed siderails remained clinically appropriate and safe. During surveyor interview, the Administrator, with the current DNS present, was unable to provide evidence of the required reassessments. A bed siderail assessment completed after the injury determined that the siderails were unsafe for the resident's continued use and were not indicated because they created an accident hazard.
Failure to Assess and Obtain Consent for Bed Rail Use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to assess two residents for the risk of entrapment from bed rails before the rails were installed and failed to document informed consent for their use. Resident #38 had diagnoses including unspecified dementia, unspecified fall, subsequent encounter, and major depressive disorder. Her quarterly MDS showed a BIMS score of 11, indicating moderately impaired cognition, and Section GG showed she was independent with sit-to-lying and sit-to-stand. Her care plan identified a one-quarter bed rail for mobility, and physician orders dated 06/09/2026 authorized the rail for positioning and mobility, but the clinical record contained no signed bed rail consent and no current bed rail safety assessment prior to installation. During observation, she was seen in her room with the one-quarter bed rail up and locked in place. Resident #89 had diagnoses including senile degeneration of the brain, major depressive disorder, and history of falling. Her quarterly MDS showed a BIMS score of 03, indicating severely impaired cognition, and Section GG showed she required supervision or touching assistance with sit-to-stand and chair-to-bed transfer. Her care plan identified a one-quarter bed rail for mobility and positioning, and physician orders dated 06/01/2026 authorized the rail for positioning and mobility, but the clinical record contained no signed bed rail consent and no current bed rail safety assessment prior to installation. During observations, she was seen lying in bed asleep with the one-quarter bed rail up and locked in place. During interviews, the ADM stated she and the DON had recently audited bed rail assessments and consents, but Residents #38 and #89 had been missed. The DON stated the missed assessments were her responsibility and that bed rail assessments and consents were required before implementation and reviewed quarterly. Facility staff also stated that completion of bed rail assessments and consents was the responsibility of the charge nurse, and the facility policy required review of alternatives, assessment of entrapment risk, and informed consent before bed rail use.
Failure to Document Alternatives and Monitor Bed Rail Use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to evaluate why alternative interventions were ineffective before installing four bed rails for Resident 10 and failed to monitor the resident’s use of side rails as required by the facility’s Bed Safety and Bed Rails policy. Resident 10 was admitted with acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia, Type 2 DM with hyperglycemia, and generalized muscle weakness. The record showed that the only alternative intervention documented before bed rail use was one-to-one activities and supervision, but there was no documented evidence explaining why that alternative did not work. An order dated 3/30/2026 indicated bilateral full bed rails due to fall risk, and the care plan later documented all bed rails up and locked when in bed with an intervention to attempt less restrictive devices on an ongoing basis. Resident 10’s history and physical stated the resident did not have capacity to understand and make decisions, and the MDS described moderately impaired cognition, dependence for ADLs and functional mobility, no prior falls in the 2 to 6 months before admission, and daily use of bed rails. During observation, Resident 10 was found asleep in bed with all four bed rails up and locked. The DON stated there was no documented evidence of an active order for a low bed and no other alternative attempted with a documented reason for its inability to meet Resident 10’s needs before placing four bed rails. The DON also stated the care plan did not indicate monitoring for bed rails while in use and the Active Orders list did not show an active order to monitor the safe use of the bed rails.
Failure to Assess Bed Rail Entrapment Risk
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to thoroughly assess residents for the risk of entrapment and the appropriateness of using bed rails. The deficiency involved Resident #11, who was admitted with diagnoses including a right hip fracture, anxiety disorder, orthostatic hypotension, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. The resident’s MDS showed severe cognitive deficits and dependence on staff for activities of daily living, including rolling in bed. The record contained no documentation that the resident was assessed for the use of side rails, and there were no documented alternatives attempted before the resident was placed in a bed equipped with bed rails. On 05/23/26, staff found Resident #11 in distress in his room with his head and neck caught between the mattress and the assist bar, and his lower jaw stuck inside the handle of the assist bar. CNA #138 and RN #50 removed the mattress from the opposite side of the bed to free the resident and lower him to the floor. The resident was not breathing and was non-responsive, and RN #50 initiated CPR until EMS arrived and took over rescue efforts. EMS later reported the resident had a pulse and transported him to the hospital. Witness statements and the EMS run sheet described the resident as being found with his head stuck between the bed railing and the bed, with signs of obstruction to breathing. The hospital record stated the resident was admitted after being found down between the bed and an assist rail with cardiac arrest and diffuse hypoxic injury. He was intubated, mechanically ventilated, later transitioned to comfort-focused care, and expired on 06/01/26. The facility policy required attempts at alternatives, interdisciplinary evaluation, resident assessment, and informed consent before use of bed rails, and the report states these steps were not completed for Resident #11.
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