Improper Wheelchair Securement During Van Transport Leads to Resident Injury
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure the resident environment remained as free of accident hazards as possible and to provide adequate supervision and assistive devices to prevent accidents during van transportation. A female resident with a history of left femur fracture, anxiety, and depression, and with moderate cognitive impairment (BIMS score of 10), required substantial/maximal assistance for sit-to-stand and car transfers, and walking was not attempted due to her medical condition. Her care plan identified limited physical mobility related to a fractured hip and indicated she required assistance by one staff to walk. Despite these needs, she was transported in the facility van in a wheelchair and was not properly secured using the required 5‑seatbelt restraint system. On the day of the incident, the CNA assigned to transport the resident took her to what turned out to be the wrong orthopedic office and then returned her to the van to go to the correct location. The CNA reported pushing the resident up the wheelchair ramp, locking the wheelchair wheels, and fastening the two rear seatbelts that secured the wheelchair to the floor. She then moved to the front of the van and stated she fastened the remaining three belts, which included two front straps securing the wheelchair to the floor and a lap belt over the resident’s lap. While driving, the van began to overheat in a construction zone, and as the CNA slowed down after seeing a yellow light, she heard a noise and saw that the resident’s wheelchair had flipped backwards, with the resident on the floor at the back of the van. The CNA reported that the resident’s front safety belt was unclamped and that she had to unbuckle the lap belt to move the wheelchair to reach the resident. The resident was transported by EMS to the hospital, where records documented an acute subdural hematoma and a cervical fracture following a fall from a wheelchair while being transported in a van. When interviewed in the hospital, the resident, who was wearing a cervical collar, recalled that the CNA hit the brakes and the wheelchair flipped; she stated she did not know if all straps were fastened and that she had not unfastened any safety belts herself. Facility staff later tested the van’s 5‑belt restraint system with an empty wheelchair and found that when all four floor straps and the lap belt were secured, the wheelchair could not be flipped, and even with the lap belt removed or one front strap unfastened, the chair still would not budge. The wheelchair only flipped backwards when both front straps were unfastened, leading the Administrator to state that the only way the chair could have flipped was if the two front safety belts were not fastened. Further review revealed systemic failures related to transportation safety. The Office Manager initially stated that transportation aides were trained and had demonstrated competency in wheelchair securement and safety belt placement before transporting residents, but later acknowledged there was no evidence of such training or competencies for the CNA involved or for the current transportation aide. Personnel file reviews for both aides showed no documentation of training related to transportation safety or wheelchair securement, despite a facility policy requiring that staff responsible for transportation be trained and demonstrate competency in wheelchair securement procedures, with competency documented prior to independent transport duties. Additionally, the Administrator reported that the van had no maintenance logs, no records of routine safety checks, and was not inspected routinely, even though the van had recently overheated during the incident. These inactions and lack of documented training, competency validation, and vehicle safety oversight contributed to the improper securement of the resident’s wheelchair and the resulting accident and injuries.
Removal Plan
- Ceased all resident transportation via van and wheelchair transfers requiring safety restraint usage; ceased all other facility transports unless staff were trained by nursing staff trained in safe transport and proper safety restraints.
- Required verification that safety restraints are applied correctly and staff supervision is present prior to movement; implemented and used a transport check sheet/checklist located at the nurses station; trained all transport staff on proper use of the transport checklist.
- Required that no resident is transported or transferred using the facility van until safety checks are completed and documented; completed staff in-service/sign-off for training and notification of safety checks.
- Required licensed nursing staff trained in van safety transportation to provide supervisory oversight for all transfers involving wheelchairs.
- Completed a 100% audit of all residents transported outside the facility and identified residents likely to be affected; updated care plans and implemented additional supervision for any resident identified as high risk.
- Established a standardized transportation and wheelchair restraint checklist process; implemented a Skilled Nursing Facility Transportation Safety Checklist and Wheelchair Van Restraint Safety Checklist for all nursing staff.
- Provided staff education and competency validation (return demonstration) for all staff involved in resident transfers/transportation (nurses, CNAs, drivers) on wheelchair brake locking, proper restraint use, and supervision requirements; prohibited staff from transport duties until competency is demonstrated.
- Trained all nurses on proper procedure for transports with a wheelchair upon hire and annually.
- Updated care plans to clearly identify supervision and transport requirements.
- Created/revised transportation and accident prevention policy to include training requirements, safety checklist, transportation safety, and restraint checklist.
- Adopted a zero tolerance policy for noncompliance with transportation safety procedures; made in-service mandatory for current staff and before starting first shift for new staff.
- Implemented supervisory sign-off requirement for all external transports.
- Implemented weekly preventive maintenance checks for wheelchairs and van restraints.
- Implemented monitoring/oversight: DON/designee conducts daily audits of transportation documentation, then weekly; reviews findings during QAPI meetings; initiates immediate corrective action for any noncompliance.
- Incorporated transportation safety training into new hire orientation and required annual competency validation for all applicable staff; continued ongoing QAPI monitoring to ensure sustained compliance.
- Established a standardized maintenance checklist to be reported monthly in QAPI meetings with the IDT.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to ensure effective fall alarms and supervision: two residents had Smart Caregiver monitoring devices set to LOW volume, and one resident's bed alarm did not alert staff before the resident was found on the floor after an unwitnessed fall. One resident had dementia, osteoporosis, prior TIA, and cognitive impairment and was fully dependent on staff, while staff also found that a second resident's bed and recliner alarms did not activate properly during testing.
Failure to assess the safety of perimeter mattresses for two residents. Both residents had severely impaired cognition and significant mobility limitations, and both care plans included use of a perimeter mattress to define the edges of the bed. However, their Mobility, Physical Device, and Fall Risk assessments lacked documentation of a perimeter/defined edge mattress assessment. Staff interviews showed inconsistent understanding of the required order, IDT review, engineering review, and safety assessment before use.
Improper Mechanical Lift Transfers: A resident with dementia, spinal cord dysfunction, and dependence for transfers was supposed to be moved with a full-body mechanical lift and two staff members, but a TMA stated she transferred the resident alone. The resident reported that staff sometimes used only one person for lift transfers because of staffing shortages, while other staff and the DON stated this was unsafe and against policy.
Two residents were involved in accident-hazard deficiencies. One resident with cancer, PVD, and Alzheimer’s disease was observed in a wheelchair with feet extending past short footrests, with the lower legs resting against the hard footrests despite a care plan entry for padding. Another resident with dementia and a hx of falls had an unwitnessed fall, but ordered orthostatic BP monitoring was not completed accurately and staff reported no post-fall PT referral was received.
A resident was given a new electric wheelchair without a prior therapy assessment and could not stop the chair, causing it to strike a bed frame and resulting in a leg laceration, tibia/fibula fractures, and a syncopal episode from blood loss. Another resident with cognitive impairment and high fall risk continued to self-transfer and fall, but the care plan was not updated with new fall interventions after repeated incidents.
A CNA used a Hoyer lift alone to weigh one resident, and another CNA was observed using a Hoyer lift alone to weigh a second resident. One resident’s care plan called for a 2-assist Hoyer lift, and the facility’s lift competency checklist and policy both required two caregivers for mechanical lift use; the DON and Director of Therapy also stated that two staff members are always required.
Failure to Ensure Effective Fall Alarms and Supervision
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide adequate supervision and effective use of assistive fall-prevention devices for two residents who were reviewed for fall precautions. One resident had diagnoses including unspecified dementia, age-related osteoporosis, a history of transient ischemic attack, and cognitive impairment, and was described by the POA as weak, bedbound, and unable to participate in physical therapy after a prior right femur fracture. The resident was completely dependent on staff for eating, hygiene, mobility, and toileting, and the care plan included a bed alarm per orders. The resident was found on the floor next to the bed after an unwitnessed fall. The POA reported receiving a call from the facility that the resident had been found on the floor and was not injured, and stated the resident frequently forgot to ask for help and had tried to get up without assistance before. A nurse stated the bed alarm was not heard when the resident fell, and the facility was unable to provide evidence that the bed alarm functioned as intended or alerted staff before the resident was found on the floor. The event report identified the fall as unwitnessed and did not indicate that a bed alarm alerted staff. The facility also failed to ensure the Smart Caregiver sensor pad monitoring system used for another resident was functioning properly and set at an audible volume. Two Smart Caregiver monitor boxes at the nurses' station for that resident's bed and recliner were observed set to LOW volume, and the chime settings faced the back wall of the desk. When a CNA tested the recliner alarm from the resident's room, the monitor at the nurses' station did not illuminate or sound an alert on either attempt. The CNA changed the batteries but did not retest the device, and both CNAs stated they could hear alarms only if they were near the nurses' station and did not recall training on operation or testing of the devices. The facility director stated the facility did not perform preventive maintenance on the devices and relied on staff to ensure they functioned properly.
Failure to Assess Safety of Perimeter Mattresses
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that 2 residents with perimeter mattresses were assessed for safety. One resident had a significant change MDS showing severely impaired cognition, dementia, reduced mobility, muscle weakness, and need for assistance with bed mobility, sitting, standing, and transfers. That resident’s care plan identified limited physical mobility related to dementia with mood disturbance and anxiety, a genetic muscle disorder, spinal stenosis, and osteoarthritis, and included use of a perimeter mattress to help find the edges of the bed for bed mobility. However, the resident’s Mobility, Physical Device, and Fall Risk assessment lacked documentation of an assessment for a perimeter/defined edge mattress. The second resident’s annual MDS showed severely impaired cognition, dementia, multiple sclerosis, repeated falls, and need for partial to moderate assistance with bed mobility. The care plan identified limited physical mobility related to weakness, falls, incontinence, hypertension, renal disease, dementia, MS, depression, and delusional disorder, and included use of a bariatric sized bed with a perimeter mattress to define the edges of the bed. That resident’s Mobility Physical Device and Fall Risk assessment also lacked documentation of an assessment for a perimeter/defined edge mattress. During observation, the resident was in bed asleep with a perimeter mattress. Staff interviews showed differing understanding of whether a physician order, assessment, IDT review, engineering review, and safety assessment were required before use of a perimeter mattress, and the DON confirmed both residents’ most recent assessments lacked documentation of a perimeter/defined edge mattress assessment.
Improper Mechanical Lift Transfers
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure transfers were performed according to R24’s assessed needs, care plan interventions, and facility policy. R24’s records showed she had diagnoses including non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction, diabetes, dementia, depression, heart failure, and asthma. She was dependent on staff for toileting and transfers, was frequently incontinent of bowel and bladder, and had care plan directions for assistance with transfers using a full-body mechanical lift and two staff members. During interviews, a TMA stated she transferred R24 with the full-body mechanical lift by herself because R24 needed to use the bathroom and she felt the transfer was safe. R24 stated staff sometimes transferred her with only one staff member and said they told her there was not enough staff. Other staff interviewed stated transfers with the full-body mechanical lift using one staff member were unsafe and should not occur. The facility policy for using a mechanical lift stated that at least two trained associates are needed to safely move a resident with a mechanical full-body floor-based lift or ceiling/overhead full-body lift.
Unsafe Wheelchair Fit and Incomplete Post-Fall Monitoring
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide an environment free from accident hazards for two residents. Resident 27 was readmitted with diagnoses including cancer, peripheral vascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease and was sometimes able to make needs known. On multiple observations, Resident 27 was seated in a slightly tilted back wheelchair with feet extending beyond the footrests, and the back of the lower legs rested against the hard footrests above the ankle/heel area. A pillow was observed either on the floor or behind the legs rather than padding the footrests. The focused care plan for skin integrity included padding to wheelchair footrests, and staff interviews confirmed the footrests were too short and needed adjustment or replacement, but staff had not notified therapy or otherwise addressed the wheelchair fit. Resident 50 was admitted with diagnoses including dementia, history of falls, and UTI and was sometimes able to make needs known. The care plan identified the resident as at risk for falls. After an unwitnessed fall in the 300 hallway, the incident investigation added interventions to monitor orthostatic blood pressures and refer to physical therapy. However, the record showed an orthostatic blood pressure order on 05/20/2026 was not completed, and subsequent orthostatic blood pressures recorded the same blood pressure and pulse for all three positions on 05/22/2026, 05/23/2026, and 05/24/2026. Staff later stated they had not received a post-fall therapy referral, and the DNS stated the resident should have had orthostatic blood pressures taken accurately to rule out orthostatic hypotension.
Failure to assess electric wheelchair use and update fall interventions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to comprehensively assess a resident for the use of an electric wheelchair and failed to develop new interventions to reduce fall risk for another resident. The report states that the facility’s policies required a device evaluation before an electric wheelchair was initiated, resident education and consent, and an updated service plan identifying device use and other interventions. The fall management policy required individualized care plan updates, a systematic review after each fall, identification of root cause, and review of prior interventions when new interventions were implemented. Resident 73 was admitted with weakness and lymphedema and had an above-the-knee left leg amputation, requiring assistance with bed mobility, transfers, and locomotion. The resident’s record showed cognitive intactness, lower extremity impairment, supervision or touch assistance for bed-to-chair transfers, and use of a manual wheelchair. On 4/17/26, a newly issued electric wheelchair was delivered and the resident was assisted into it. The resident reported that the representative showed how the chair worked but not enough, and that the resident did not know how to stop it. The resident then returned to the room, could not stop the chair, and the chair continued forward into the bed, causing the resident’s right leg to strike the metal bed frame. The resident sustained a five-centimeter laceration to the right anterior lower leg, fractures of the right tibia and fibula, and a brief syncopal episode secondary to blood loss. The resident also received an anticoagulant, which contributed to significant bleeding. The clinical record contained no evidence that the resident had been assessed to safely operate the electric wheelchair before use. Resident 3 was admitted with a right total hip replacement with deep hardware removal and post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the right hip. The resident had a high fall risk on Morse Fall Scale assessments, cognitive impairment on OT evaluation, and a PT evaluation showing a score of zero on the Short Physical Performance Battery, indicating high fall risk and increased risk of mobility disability. The resident fell on 3/31/26 after getting up independently and sustained a right femur fracture requiring surgical repair, and fell again on 5/12/26 after getting up independently and sustained a skin tear to the right elbow. The care plan identified fall risk and included reminders to use the call light, non-skid socks, and one-person assistance for toileting and transfers, but revisions to the care plan did not add new or amended fall prevention interventions. Staff statements indicated the resident continued to self-transfer and toilet without assistance, staff believed the resident was independent, and the existing fall prevention interventions were ineffective.
Unsafe One-Person Use of Mechanical Lift
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure safe use of a mechanical lift for 2 of 3 residents reviewed for accidents. During an observation on 6/2/2026 at 8:42 AM, Resident #4 was lying on his bed on top of a Hoyer pad while CNA Staff K stood on the right side of the bed with a mechanical lift; the lift hand bags were observed over the resident, and no other staff member was in the room. Staff K stated that he was weighing Resident #4 and that normally only one person uses the Hoyer lift for weights, although the resident’s care plan documented a Hoyer lift with 2 assist. On 6/4/2026 at 10:15 AM, CNA Staff D was observed using a Hoyer lift alone to obtain Resident #13’s weight, with the resident lifted approximately 12 inches off the mattress in the sling and no other staff present. Staff D stated that he was performing weekly weights and most of the time did the weights using the Hoyer lift by himself. Resident #13’s MDS Section GG coded the resident as dependent, and the facility’s mechanical lift competency checklist stated that two caregivers are present, while the facility policy for using a mechanical lifting device stated that at least two nursing assistants are needed to safely move a resident with a mechanical lift. The DON and Director of Therapy both stated that a mechanical lift should always be used by two staff members.
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