Elopements of High-Risk Residents and Firearm Discharge Due to Inadequate Supervision and Safety Controls
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure adequate supervision and a hazard‑free environment, resulting in multiple elopements and the presence and discharge of a firearm inside the building. One cognitively impaired resident with vascular dementia, severe cognitive impairment, and a documented high risk for elopement was ordered to reside on a secured memory care unit. His care plan and secured unit screener specified that he was an elopement risk, wandered or would wander out of the facility, required a secure unit per physician order, and needed a structured environment with specialized activities. Despite these assessments and orders, a CNA took him off the secured unit to smoke with other memory care residents, then left him unattended at the elevator in the first‑floor lobby, pressing the elevator button and walking away. Video review later showed the resident leaving through the front door a few minutes later, while the front desk receptionist was at lunch, and staff did not realize he was missing from the secured unit until over an hour later. The same resident’s elopement was reconstructed through staff witness statements, facility investigation, and external records. Staff statements indicated that the resident was last seen on the secured unit around breakfast and morning rounds, then taken out to smoke around late morning. After the smoke break, the CNA who escorted him did not remain with him, and he was left in an unsecured area. Nursing staff and activities staff later searched the unit and building after he was reported missing, and the DON notified police and the resident’s responsible parties. A police report and hospital records documented that bystanders found the resident on a sidewalk approximately 1.2 miles from the facility, in hot weather conditions, after he had walked away from the building and crossed a high‑traffic multi‑lane street. Hospital documentation showed he was brought to the ED by EMS after a witnessed fall and was treated for a non‑ST elevation myocardial infarction, acute kidney injury, and slight dehydration. A second cognitively impaired resident with aphasia following a stroke, communication deficits, impaired insight and memory, and documented lack of medical decision‑making capacity was assessed by the facility as high risk for elopement shortly after admission. The interim care plan noted cognitive and visual impairment and that the resident would not be able to easily communicate with staff, and physician orders directed staff to monitor behaviors including wandering. However, the resident did not have a care plan addressing her identified high elopement risk. She left the facility unattended in the early morning hours, as later confirmed by facility video reviewed by police, and was seen by another resident packing her bags and crossing streets near the parking lot. Nursing notes showed that staff initially searched the building and grounds without finding her, notified the physician and on‑call nurse, and contacted family members hours after she had left. Family interviews and the police missing persons detective confirmed there was a delay of more than seven hours between the time she exited the building and when law enforcement was notified, during which time she remained away from the facility until returning later that day. The facility also failed to maintain a safe environment when an RN brought a firearm into the building and it discharged in a common area near resident rooms on the second floor. According to the regional director of operations and the police preliminary investigation report, the RN stated he had a firearm in his coat pocket, forgot it was there when he came to work, and hung the coat in the locked medication room. During a break, he put the coat on, placed his hand in the pocket, and the firearm discharged, creating a bullet hole in the floor and a ricochet into the wall of a resident room. Staff and residents on the unit heard a loud bang and saw dust and damage to the floor and wall, and one CNA reported finding bullet casings on the floor. The RN did not immediately inform other staff about the firearm or the cause of the loud noise and smoke, and management only learned of the incident later during their investigation. This occurred despite a written facility policy prohibiting employees, residents, visitors, vendors, or others from possessing firearms or other weapons on the premises. In addition, review of the facility’s elopement policy revealed it required staff to investigate and report all cases of missing residents but did not contain safety measures or protocols to identify residents at risk for potential elopement. This lack of detailed procedural guidance existed alongside the documented cases in which one resident at high risk for elopement on a secured unit was taken off that unit and left unsupervised in an unsecured area, and another high‑risk resident with significant communication and cognitive deficits had no elopement care plan and was able to leave the building unaccompanied during the night. These combined findings formed the basis of the cited deficiency for failure to keep the environment free from accident hazards and to provide adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Removal Plan
- Completed a Root Cause Analysis by the Administrator with input from the management team.
- Created a list of residents on the secured unit who are smokers and distributed it to staff.
- Completed whole house elopement risk assessments and updated care plans accordingly by the DON and Unit Manager LPN #262.
- Held an ad-hoc QAPI meeting to discuss elopement policy best practices and supervision of secured unit residents while off the secured unit.
- Updated the bed board to include leave of absence status after review of current resident room locations and new elopement risk assessment.
- Educated all staff on the elopement policy best practices and supervision of residents off the secured unit.
- Updated staff smoking assignments.
- Updated the facility's elopement binders to include resident's name and picture, current smokers list, elopement policy and missing resident best practices.
- Conduct audits three times a week for four weeks to ensure any resident taken off the secured unit is supervised at all times while off the unit.
- Conduct elopement drills once a week on day shift and once a week on night shift for four weeks.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Unsafe Cord Placement and Failure to Follow Fall Interventions: A resident with cognitive impairment and wheelchair use had a TV power cord stretched tightly across the closet doorway, blocking access and creating an environmental hazard when staff had to lift the cord to open the closet. Another resident with severe cognitive impairment and a fall-risk care plan repeatedly ran barefoot in the hallway while staff observed but did not consistently provide planned interventions such as gripper socks, footwear, ambulation assistance, or redirection.
A resident with impaired cognition, cancer, non-Alzheimer's dementia, extensive ADL needs, and a fall history was identified as a high fall risk with care plan interventions including removing a movable bedside table. After a fall, the resident was found using the table as a walker, yet observations showed the table still placed beside the bed on multiple occasions, including when staff were present. Staff interviews confirmed they were unaware of the current fall prevention interventions and that the table remained at bedside for meals despite the care plan.
Failure to complete a restraint assessment before using a wheelchair alarm for a resident with muscle weakness, difficulty walking, repeated falls, and dementia. The care plan included the alarm as an intervention, but the record lacked an initial Restraint Evaluation, and the CNO confirmed the assessment had not been completed before the alarm was placed.
A resident with cognitive deficits, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, fracture, and repeated falls was dependent for toileting and care planned for an EZ stand with 2-person assist. During observed transfers, staff placed the harness and straps correctly, but the resident only rose to about 135 degrees and never came to a full stand, while staff remained by the bathroom door during privacy periods and continued the transfer despite the resident not standing fully. An RN stated the resident was expected to stand straight up with the EZ stand and that staff should sit the resident back down and try again if not.
A resident with Alzheimer's disease and dementia was found wandering in the parking lot after leaving the building unsupervised. A family member visiting another resident saw her looking into car windows and alerted staff, who were not aware she had exited until the report. Staff interviews showed the resident had been seen earlier eating in the dining room, but no one was actively looking for her or knew she had left the facility.
A resident with parkinsonism and Alzheimer's disease, severe cognitive impairment, and a fall history was pushed in her wheelchair without foot pedals and was not assisted when she called out for help. Nursing notes and staff interviews showed a CNA propelled the resident multiple times without foot pedals, including one instance where her socked foot hit the floor, and staff acknowledged that foot pedals should be used when pushing a resident.
Unsafe Cord Placement and Failure to Follow Fall Interventions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a television power cord was properly secured and maintained so it did not create an environmental accident hazard for R46. R46’s quarterly MDS identified moderate cognitive impairment, maximum assistance needed for dressing, grooming, and toileting hygiene, moderate assistance with transfers, and wheelchair use. During observation, R46 was in his room with the television mounted on the wall between the bathroom and closet, and the power cord ran across the closet doors and across the upper drawer of the dresser to a surge protector on top of the dresser. When R46 tried to open the closet doors, the cord was stretched tightly across the doorway and prevented the doors from opening fully unless the cord was lifted away. A later observation showed NA-D had to lift the cord above the closet door to open it and retrieve clothing. NA-D stated the cord had been positioned that way for about one year and could be dangerous if R46 pulled on it, and maintenance staff stated they were only notified that day that the television needed to be fixed. The facility also failed to ensure fall interventions were followed for R13, who had severe cognitive impairment with disorganized thinking and inattention, verbal behaviors toward others, and dependence on staff for footwear and partial to moderate assistance with dressing. R13’s care plan identified her as at risk for falls and included interventions such as ambulating with the resident, encouraging gripper socks, obtaining slip-on shoes, reducing noise, offering snacks, assisting her back to her room when running in the hallway, offering a wheelchair, and redirecting her to slow down. During observations, R13 repeatedly exited her room barefoot and ran through the hallway, including multiple times over an extended period, while staff observed but did not provide gripper socks or shoes, walk with her, redirect her to slow down, or offer other care-planned interventions. Staff interviews indicated they had difficulty redirecting her because she became agitated, and the DON stated the care plan should be followed to ensure safety.
Failure to Follow Fall Prevention Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement care planned interventions to prevent further falls for one resident who was reviewed for falls. The resident had moderate impaired cognition, diagnoses including cancer and non-Alzheimer's dementia, required extensive assistance with ADLs including toileting, transfers, and locomotion, and had a history of falls. The resident's care plan identified the resident as a high fall risk related to de-conditioning, cognitive deficits, and prior falls, and included interventions such as anti-rollbacks on the wheelchair, appropriate footwear, keeping a wheelchair behind the resident when ambulating, and removing the mobile bedside table from beside the bed. After a fall in which the resident was found on the floor by the room doorway with the mobile bedside table in the hallway next to him, the resident stated he had been using the table as a walker. Despite the care plan and post-fall assessment identifying removal of the mobile bedside table as an intervention, observations showed the movable bedside table still placed alongside the bed on multiple occasions, including when staff were present in the room. Staff interviews confirmed they were unaware of the current fall prevention interventions, acknowledged the table was movable, and stated it remained at the bedside to facilitate meals. The DON confirmed the table had been at the bedside and was removed only after the surveyor discussed it with staff.
Failure to complete restraint assessment before wheelchair alarm use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a restraint assessment before implementing a wheelchair alarm for Resident #18. Resident #18 was admitted with multiple diagnoses including muscle weakness, difficulty walking, repeated falls, and dementia. The care plan for impaired mobility and fall risk, dated 3/8/26, included a wheelchair alarm as an intervention. A Bed Safety and Transfer Device Evaluation dated 4/28/26 documented that the bed/chair alarm did not restrict mobility, but the record did not include an initial Restraint Evaluation dated on or around 3/8/26 to identify the comprehensive evaluation of the chair alarm. On 7/9/26, the CNO stated that a Restraint Evaluation had not been completed prior to the chair alarm being placed for Resident #18.
Inadequate Supervision During EZ Stand Transfers
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure adequate supervision and assistance for one resident during transfers with an EZ stand lift. The resident had cognitive deficits and was dependent for toileting, with diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, dementia, fracture, and repeated falls. The care plan identified a moderate fall risk related to weakness and directed toileting with an EZ stand and 2-person assist. During observation, nursing assistants placed the harness, safety belt, straps, and loops appropriately and assisted the resident with the lift, but the resident stood only to approximately 135 degrees and never came to a full stand. On two observed transfers, staff remained by the bathroom door while the resident was given privacy, then re-entered to continue the transfer and complete care. In both observations, the resident never achieved a full standing position despite encouragement and repeated attempts. One nursing assistant stated the transfer was safe because two staff were assisting, while the RN case manager stated she expected the resident to stand straight up when transferred with the EZ stand and that staff should sit the resident back down and try again if the resident did not. The RN case manager was unaware of any concerns about the resident transferring safely with the EZ stand. Facility policy was requested but not provided.
Resident Left Unsupervised and Was Found Wandering in Parking Lot
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to recognize that a cognitively impaired resident had left the building unsupervised and was wandering in the parking lot. The resident had diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and anxiety disorder, and records showed she had moderately impaired cognition, walked and transferred independently, and had no documented wandering behaviors during the MDS lookback period. Although an elopement evaluation had previously concluded she was not at risk for elopement, the care plan identified confusion, impaired cognition, and lack of awareness of safety needs. On the day of the event, a family member visiting another resident saw the resident outside in the parking lot looking into car windows and walking from car to car with a jacket and pocketbook on her arm. The family member stated the resident appeared to be looking for someone and was in the middle area of the parking lot before she reported it to staff. Nurse #3 was notified and went to check on the resident, who was then brought back inside the facility. Staff interviews showed they were not actively looking for the resident and did not know she had exited the facility unsupervised until the family member reported seeing her outside. Staff accounts indicated the resident had been seen earlier in the dining room eating, but no one was aware she had left the building. Nurse #2 and NA #1 both stated they were not aware the resident was missing until the report from the family member. The administrator stated the resident exited through the front entrance doors, but it was not known whether she pushed the button behind the receptionist desk or was let out by a visitor. The previous NP stated the resident needed someone with her if she was outside the facility and could have wandered away if left alone.
Failure to Respond to Help Requests and Use Foot Pedals During Wheelchair Transport
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a safe environment free from accident hazards for R25 when staff did not respond to her requests for help and did not provide foot pedals while propelling her wheelchair. R25 had diagnoses of parkinsonism and Alzheimer's disease, and her records documented severely impaired cognition, including a BIMS score of four on a quarterly MDS. Her care plan stated she was independent with locomotion in her manual wheelchair, but other documentation reflected a history of falls and need for staff assistance with wheelchair mobility. The care plan also lacked documentation regarding foot pedals. Nursing notes and staff interviews showed multiple instances in which R25 was pushed in her wheelchair without foot pedals. On one occasion, a CNA propelled her out of the restroom and her socked foot hit the floor when the wheelchair was pushed. On another occasion, R25 was seated in her wheelchair, holding onto the back of a recliner and calling out for help, while the CNA walked by her. The CNA later propelled R25 down the hallway without foot pedals and at one point pushed the chair and let it go. Staff interviews confirmed that residents should have foot pedals when staff are pushing them, and the CNA stated she should not push R25 without foot pedals.
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