Failure to Develop and Implement Comprehensive Care Plan for Recurrent Feces-Related Behaviors
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to develop and implement a comprehensive, person-centered care plan with measurable objectives and timeframes to address a resident’s identified behavioral and infection-control-related needs. The resident was an adult male with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder (depressive type), GERD, and a PASRR Level II for serious mental illness. His MDS showed moderate cognitive impairment (BIMS 11/15), and he was incontinent of bowel and bladder and required assistance with toileting. Despite these factors and a documented care plan focus on PASRR-positive mental illness and a later focus on increased episodes of smearing feces, the care plan did not include specific, focused behaviors related to digging in his soiled brief, eating, or smearing feces, nor did it outline clear, measurable interventions and monitoring for these behaviors. Multiple staff observations and interviews described repeated episodes of the resident having feces on his hands, under his fingernails, on his beard and around his mouth, and in his mouth and teeth, associated with him reaching into his soiled brief. A medication aide reported seeing the resident place his hand into his brief, remove feces, and almost place his soiled hand into his mouth before she intervened; she cleaned him but did not report the incident to the charge nurse, assuming it was already care planned. An anonymous individual reported that during a holiday week, the resident was repeatedly seen with feces on his hands, beard, sides of his mouth, and in his mouth and teeth, and that an LVN entered the room, stated she would not deal with the situation, and left without addressing or reporting it, leaving non-care staff to attempt cleanup. A physical therapist assistant described entering the resident’s room and finding feces on the resident’s hands, facial hair, chin, and in his mouth and on his teeth, with a strong fecal odor, and stated this was not the first such incident he had observed. Nursing staff interviews further demonstrated that these behaviors were not consistently recognized, documented, or communicated as a change in condition requiring care plan revision. The resident himself reported repeated days of diarrhea and that he sometimes reached to the back of his brief due to discomfort, later realizing his hands and fingernails were soiled and that he would unknowingly rub his hands on his face, resulting in feces on his beard and near his mouth, describing this as a repeated pattern. The DON and administrator stated they had not been made aware of ongoing behaviors of the resident digging into his soiled brief and putting feces on or in his mouth, and the DON acknowledged that if they had known it was more than a one-time occurrence, it should have been care planned and documented in progress notes. LVNs interviewed stated they were not informed of the feces-related behaviors and indicated that, had they been aware, they would have reported them as a change in condition to the MD and leadership and expected psychiatric evaluation orders and care plan updates. The MDS nurse confirmed that the care plan was only updated to reflect feces smearing after she was informed, and that she had not known about feces in and around the resident’s mouth, which would have prompted a broader IDT care conference and notifications. Collectively, these findings show that the resident’s recurrent behavior of digging into his soiled brief and contaminating his hands and mouth was not comprehensively assessed, documented, communicated, or incorporated into a detailed, measurable care plan consistent with his assessed medical, nursing, mental, and psychosocial needs. The facility’s own baseline care plan policy required that a baseline care plan be developed within 48 hours of admission and that updates to the resident’s plan of care be made in the comprehensive care plan, including PASRR recommendations and changes in condition. Despite this, the resident’s care plan did not initially address the specific behavior of digging into his brief and contaminating his hands and mouth with feces, even after multiple staff observed such incidents. Staff interviews revealed missed opportunities to recognize and report these behaviors as changes in condition, inconsistent assumptions that the behavior was already care planned, and lack of timely documentation in progress notes. As a result, the resident’s recurrent feces-related behaviors, in the context of his mental illness, cognitive impairment, incontinence, and diarrhea, were not translated into a comprehensive, person-centered care plan with clear, measurable interventions and monitoring, as required by regulation and the facility’s own policy. Additionally, the resident’s responsible party reported not being informed of any abnormal behaviors, and some staff acknowledged uncertainty about whether the behavior required reporting or additional interventions. The assistant DON, who also served as infection preventionist, stated that the occurrence constituted a change in condition that required MD notification and that interventions such as increased rounds and more frequent brief changes were expected, but the report shows that these expectations were not consistently met prior to the survey findings. The combination of repeated, observed feces-related behaviors, lack of consistent reporting and documentation, and the absence of a fully developed, behavior-specific care plan with measurable goals and timeframes demonstrates the facility’s failure to implement a comprehensive person-centered care plan that addressed the resident’s identified medical, nursing, mental, and psychosocial needs related to this behavior.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
A resident with dementia, muscle weakness, and protein-calorie malnutrition had a care plan directing staff to offload his heels or use Prevalon boots while in bed. During observation, he was found in bed without the boots, and an LPN confirmed his heels were not offloaded even though they should have been.
Failure to care plan depression: A resident with MDD and ongoing depressive symptoms had psychology evaluations documenting depressed mood, loss of interest, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and appetite changes, and the MDS listed depression as an active dx. However, the care plan did not include depression as a focus area, and the MDS Coordinator and DON both stated it should have been care planned.
Incomplete care planning for ordered medications and diabetic footwear. The facility did not include ordered meds such as Eszopiclone, Lexapro, Mirtazapine, and Zolpidem in residents' comprehensive care plans, and one resident was not measured for diabetic shoes and insoles per MD order. The MDS Coordinator said the missing medication care plans were an oversight, while the DON and Administrator stated care plans are used to direct and guide resident care.
A facility failed to include person-centered comprehensive care plan focus areas for two residents receiving ordered meds. One resident with atrial fibrillation was receiving Eliquis, and another resident with insomnia was receiving Trazodone, but neither current care plan addressed the medication use. The MDS Nurse stated she was responsible for care plan development and said the omissions were due to oversight.
Failure to update a resident’s fall care plan with a Geri-chair intervention. A resident with dementia, osteoarthritis, diabetes, severe cognitive impairment, and a history of falls had a care plan listing multiple fall precautions, but after a witnessed fall and a physician order for a Geri-chair or tilt back WC, the care plan was not updated to include that intervention. Surveyors observed the resident in a Geri-chair, and the MDS Coordinator and DON acknowledged the care plan had not been updated.
Failure to care plan a resident’s impaired hearing. A resident with dementia and a history of hard of hearing was observed unable to hear normal conversation and stated he refused to use his hearing aid. The SSD and RN confirmed no care plan had been initiated for the hearing impairment or hearing aid refusal, and the DON stated the condition should have been care planned per facility policy and MDS triggers.
Failure to Offload Heels as Directed
Penalty
Summary
Resident #32, who was admitted with diagnoses including dementia, muscle weakness, and protein-calorie malnutrition, had a care plan revised on 6/18/21 directing staff to offload his heels or use Prevalon boots when he was in bed, as he allowed. During observation on 7/9/26 at 11:22 AM, Resident #32 was found in bed without Prevalon boots in place. At 11:23 AM, an LPN stated the resident should have had his boots on, then lifted the blanket and observed the resident's legs resting on a pillow. When asked whether the resident's heels were offloaded, the LPN stated they were not and confirmed they should have been offloaded.
Failure to Care Plan Depression
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement a comprehensive care plan for Resident #22, who had diagnoses including Major Depressive Disorder and was documented by psychology evaluations as having recurrent, moderate depression. The resident’s evaluation notes described decreased interest in activities, persistent depressed mood, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and changes in appetite, with symptoms occurring on more than half of the days and causing moderate subjective distress. A later psychology note again documented persistent depressed mood, marked loss of interest, altered sleep patterns, and fatigue with moderate distress. The resident’s quarterly MDS dated 6/13/2026 documented an active diagnosis of depression in Section I, but the care plan did not include a focus area for depression. During interview, the MDS Coordinator stated the resident had been followed by Balance Wellbeing since 12/2025, the diagnosis was entered on 5/20/2026, and depression was not included in the care plan but should be. The DON also stated the resident should be care planned for depression. The facility policy required a comprehensive person-centered care plan with measurable objectives and timeframes to meet the resident’s medical, nursing, and psychosocial needs and all services identified in the comprehensive assessment.
Incomplete Care Planning for Ordered Medications and Diabetic Footwear
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement a comprehensive person-centered care plan with measurable objectives and timeframes for 3 of 4 residents reviewed. Resident #12 had diagnoses including dementia, anxiety, malnutrition, and depression, and her physician orders included Eszopiclone for insomnia, Lexapro for depression, and Mirtazapine for protein-calorie malnutrition. Although these medications were active and administered, the comprehensive care plan dated 04/23/26 did not include care planning for Eszopiclone, Lexapro, or Mirtazapine. Resident #3 had diagnoses including PTSD, depression, and stroke, with a BIMS score of 08 indicating severely impaired cognition. Her physician order dated 06/01/26 included Zolpidem Tartrate 5 mg at bedtime for insomnia, and the MDS indicated she received a hypnotic medication during the look-back period. The comprehensive care plan did not indicate Zolpidem. During interview, the MDS Coordinator stated she reviewed the records and did not see care plans for Resident #12's medications or Resident #3's Zolpidem, and said it was an oversight. Resident #2 was also identified in the deficiency statement as not being measured for diabetic shoes and diabetic insoles per physician order. The facility's policy stated that a comprehensive, person-centered care plan with measurable objectives and timetables is developed and implemented for each resident and revised as conditions change. The DON and Administrator stated that care plans were a team effort and used to direct and guide resident care, and that if care plans were not done properly, care could be missed.
Missing Care Plan Focus Areas for Anticoagulant and Antidepressant Medication Use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop a person-centered comprehensive care plan for a resident receiving anticoagulant medication. Resident #5 was admitted with atrial fibrillation and had a physician order for Eliquis 5 mg by mouth twice daily. The June 2026 MAR showed the resident received Eliquis as ordered, and the quarterly MDS assessment coded the resident as moderately cognitively impaired and receiving anticoagulant medication. However, the resident’s current comprehensive care plan, last reviewed on 6/19/26, did not include a care plan focus area for anticoagulant medication use. The facility also failed to develop a person-centered comprehensive care plan for a resident receiving antidepressant medication. Resident #8 was admitted with insomnia and had a physician order for Trazodone 50 mg by mouth at bedtime. The June 2026 MAR showed the resident received Trazodone as ordered, and the quarterly MDS assessment coded the resident as cognitively intact and receiving antidepressant medication. The resident’s current comprehensive care plan, last reviewed on 6/18/26, did not include a care plan focus area for antidepressant medication use. In both cases, the MDS Nurse stated she was responsible for developing the care plans and identified the missing care plan areas as an oversight.
Failure to Update Fall Care Plan With Geri-Chair Intervention
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement a comprehensive care plan that included all of Resident #1’s fall interventions. Resident #1, a [AGE]-year-old female with dementia, osteoarthritis, and diabetes mellitus, had a quarterly MDS showing a BIMS score of three, indicating severe cognitive impairment, and was assessed as having falls with one fall without injury. Her comprehensive care plan identified her as being at risk for falls related to debility, advanced age, and behaviors, and included interventions such as a low bed with fall mat, tilt back wheelchair, staff education, correct positioning in chair, nonskid tape under the fall mat, use of a call light, monitoring for changes in condition, and a pommel cushion added to the chair. After Resident #1 experienced a witnessed fall from her wheelchair in the TV area, a physician order was entered for safety devices including a low bed, fall mat, and Geri-chair or tilt back wheelchair. At the time of survey observation, Resident #1 was seen in a Geri-chair in the TV area and stated she liked it and was comfortable in it. However, the care plan did not include the Geri-chair intervention. The MDS Coordinator stated she had seen Resident #1 in the Geri-chair but had not yet updated the care plan, and the DON stated whoever had the resident should have seen the order for the Geri-chair and updated the care plan.
Failure to Care Plan Hearing Impairment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop an individualized, resident-centered care plan with measurable objectives, timeframes, and interventions to address Resident 33’s impaired hearing. Resident 33 was admitted with diagnoses including dementia, muscle weakness, and abnormal gait and mobility, and the H&P documented a history of hard of hearing. The MDS dated 6/5/2026 indicated the resident was moderately impaired in cognitive skills for daily decision making and had minimal difficulty hearing. During an observation and interview on 6/29/2026, Resident 33 was lying in bed and stated he could not hear the surveyor during a normal conversation, that he was hard of hearing, and that he refused to use his hearing aid. The SSD stated the resident had difficulty hearing, refused to use the hearing aid, and had no care plan initiated for impaired hearing. RN 2 later confirmed there was no care plan for the resident’s impaired hearing and that one should be in place to address the hearing impairment and refusal to use the hearing aid so staff could communicate effectively. The DON stated that a resident with impaired hearing should be care planned according to facility policy and that hearing impairment triggered on the MDS should be care planned, including refusal to use the hearing aid.
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