F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
F

Insufficient Nursing Staffing and Delayed Resident Care

Safire Rehabilitation Of Southtowns, L L CBuffalo, New York Survey Completed on 12-09-2025

Summary

The facility did not provide sufficient nursing staff on a 24-hour basis to meet residents’ needs, and the report states that this resulted in delays and missed care for multiple residents. The facility’s staffing plan called for specific RN, LPN, and CNA coverage across all shifts, but the 10/31/2025 staffing sheet showed shortages on the evening shift, including no CNAs on the Yellow unit, one CNA leaving early on the Blue unit, and one CNA leaving early on the Green unit. The report also notes that multiple supervisors and an assistant director of nursing were called in to assist, and residents later complained that there was no staff on the evening shift. Resident and staff interviews described delayed assistance, incomplete care, and residents remaining in bed later than preferred because staff were not available. One resident stated staff did not usually get them up until 11:00 AM or later even though they wanted to be up by 7:45 AM, and staff acknowledged that low staffing sometimes prevented honoring that preference. Another resident stated they had not had a shower in three weeks and staff explained that there was not enough staff on the evening shift to provide an actual shower for a two-assist resident, so a bed bath was given instead. Staff also reported that on the evening shift there were multiple call-offs, no aides on one unit, and residents on the Yellow unit had not been rounded on when staff were floated there to help put residents to bed. Additional interviews from residents and family members described long waits for call lights, delayed toileting and incontinence care, missed showers, and difficulty getting help across shifts and on weekends. One resident reported waiting hours for call lights to be answered and long delays in receiving incontinence care; another reported waiting 30 minutes for a call light to be answered after being soiled; another stated showers were not completed and residents were left in saturated briefs for extended periods. Staff interviews confirmed that units were often staffed with too few CNAs and that nurses were frequently required to help with aide duties, while some residents were left without timely care because staff could not get to everyone in a timely manner.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

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See other F0725 citations
Insufficient Nursing Staffing and Weekend Coverage
E
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

The facility failed to maintain sufficient nursing staff to meet resident needs and its own staffing plan. PBJ data showed repeated low weekend staffing, and review of staffing postings, assignment sheets, and punch-in records found frequent call-offs and staff leaving early, resulting in staffing levels that often did not match the facility assessment. Staff interviews described CNA/LNA shortages on every shift, especially weekends, and residents reported concerns that there were not enough CNAs to assist with meals and other needs. The DON acknowledged higher turnover and that staffing depended on census and acuity.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient Nursing Staffing and Delayed Resident Care
E
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

The facility failed to provide enough nursing staff to meet resident needs, with staff and residents reporting frequent short staffing, long call light delays, missed showers, and rushed care. During meal observations, a resident spilled food while waiting for help, another could not reach a breakfast tray until a NA repositioned them, and a resident with a paralyzed arm had the tray placed on the wrong side. The report also cited inadequate wound care for a resident with a surgical hip wound and a pressure injury that developed in the facility.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient Nursing Staffing and Delayed Resident Care
F
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

Insufficient staffing led to delayed call light response, delayed incontinence care, and incomplete ADL support. Residents reported long waits for help, including mechanical lift transfers and brief changes, while staff described short aide coverage, uncovered call-offs, and difficulty completing showers, checks, and two-person transfers. Observations showed residents left wet or waiting for care, and an LPN and ADON were observed not completing requested assistance when they entered resident rooms.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient Nursing Staffing Caused Delays in Care and Medication Administration
F
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

Insufficient nursing staffing led to delayed ADL care, late medication administration, and missed ordered enteral feeding. Residents and CNAs reported long waits for incontinence care, help with meals, and response to call lights, especially on the overnight shift. MARs showed repeated late doses for multiple residents, including meds given hours late or after midnight, and an LPN confirmed she forgot to connect a resident’s PEG tube feeding because she had too many tasks and about 30 residents assigned.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient Nursing Staff for Restorative Care
F
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

Insufficient nursing staff led to missed restorative care for multiple residents. The facility did not use dedicated RNA staff and instead assigned restorative tasks to floor CNAs, who said they were too busy to provide separate 15-minute sessions. Interviews with residents and staff showed omitted ROM, dressing routines, exercise programs, and prosthesis application, while Point of Care entries marked the tasks complete even though they reflected routine CNA care rather than actual restorative services.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient MCU Staffing During Resident Altercation
D
F0725 F725: Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Short Summary

An LPN left the MCU with only one CNA present, despite a staffing guideline requiring two staff members on the unit at all times. While the LPN was off the unit, a resident with dementia became verbally aggressive with two other residents, covered one resident's mouth, threw a walker at the CNA, and then exchanged swatting and punching with another resident before the CNA separated them. The residents involved had dementia-related diagnoses and cognitive impairment, and one resident later had a UTI identified.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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