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 staff on unit
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

Insufficient nursing staff were present on a unit when a resident who required 2-person assist for ambulation and toileting was found walking from the bathroom to bed alone after waiting for help. At the time, only an LPN and a clerk were observed on the unit, while other NA staff had already punched out and the second nurse was charting on another unit.

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 CNA 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 CNA Staffing and Delayed Resident Care: Residents and staff reported that CNA coverage was inadequate on evenings, nights, and weekends, leading to delayed call light response and unmet care needs. A resident with impaired mobility and another with CVA-related deficits reported long waits for assistance, while a CNA stated she was the only CNA on a hall overnight and had not been able to check many rooms. The Administrator and CNA Supervisor acknowledged staffing shortages, especially on nights and weekends, and resident council and grievance records also documented concerns about short staffing.

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
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

Insufficient nursing staffing led to delayed and incomplete resident care. The facility scheduled fewer CNAs than required by its assessment, often leaving only 5 to 6 CNAs on day shift instead of 8, and staff were told to cancel shifts when census dropped. Residents reported long waits for toileting and assistance, including being left in feces and waiting during meals for help, while CNAs described working alone, delayed call light response, missed or delayed ADL care, and difficulty completing 2-person transfers and mechanical lifts.

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.
Delayed Response to Resident Call Lights
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

Delayed response to activated call lights was identified for a resident with intact cognition who required assistance with toileting, transfers, and ambulation and had care plan interventions for impaired mobility, safety, weakness from TIA, and fall risk. The resident reported staff often shut off the call light without providing help, and alarm records showed multiple response times over 15 minutes, including several lasting more than 30 minutes and up to nearly an hour. Staff and the DON acknowledged that response times had exceeded the expected timeframe, and the facility policy required staff to respond to engaged call lights in a timely manner.

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.
Missing Medication Documentation After Short-Staffed Shift
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

A resident with a PEG tube, dysphagia, dementia, epilepsy, and other neurologic conditions had scheduled meds ordered through the tube, but the eMAR showed no meds documented for an entire evening med pass. The RN/UM said she worked a double shift because of a nursing call-out and forgot to document the meds as given, and the DON acknowledged the missed documentation.

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 Call Light Response
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 and delayed call light response were identified after residents reported waits of 30 minutes to 2 hours for assistance, including one resident left in the bathroom for 45 minutes and another with a 55-minute wait after activating a call light. The CNA scheduler said staffing was based on a corporate PPD target of 2.85 hours per resident rather than acuity, and records showed multiple weekend shifts with CNA, UM, and RN call-offs or no-shows. Residents also reported staff sitting in the lounge, not responding to lights, and unmet toileting and care needs.

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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