Failure to Revise Fall Risk Care Plan After Resident Fall
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to revise and update a resident’s fall risk care plan after an actual fall and change in condition. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including multiple left rib fractures, dementia, and anxiety. A History and Physical dated 9/28/2025 documented that the resident did not have capacity to understand and make decisions. A Minimum Data Set dated 2/8/2026 showed moderately impaired cognition and a need for substantial/maximal assistance with ADLs such as toileting and bathing. A Change of Condition evaluation dated 1/11/2026 documented that the resident was found sitting on the floor next to her wheelchair, indicating an actual fall. The resident’s existing care plan, titled "Risk for Falls secondary to confusion/decreased safety awareness and history of falls," dated 1/13/2026, included general interventions such as determining the resident’s ability to transfer, educating the resident/representative on ambulation and transfer techniques, ensuring call light availability, evaluating the environment for fall risks, and notifying the provider and initiating neuro checks and bleeding evaluation if a fall occurred. An Interdisciplinary Care Conference note dated 1/16/2026 recorded that the resident had a fall on 1/11/2026 and continued to be at risk for falls due to cognitive changes and dementia, and it identified specific measures such as keeping the bed in the lowest position, providing a toileting schedule, providing a cup with holder to encourage fluids as the resident propelled herself in the wheelchair, and educating staff to adhere to the care plan. Despite these findings and discussions, the fall risk care plan dated 1/13/2026 was not revised to reflect that the resident had an actual fall on 1/11/2026 or to incorporate new or adjusted interventions following that event. The Infection Preventionist stated that the care plan should have been revised after the 1/11/2026 fall and acknowledged that it was not. The DON also confirmed that the resident had an actual fall on 1/11/2026, that the fall risk care plan had not been revised to reflect this incident, and that no new interventions were added after the fall. Subsequently, a Change of Condition report dated 2/20/2026 documented that the resident was found lying on her back on the floor in front of her bed, and a General Acute Care Hospital record for the same date indicated the resident was admitted after an unwitnessed fall that resulted in multiple fractures to the left ribs. The facility’s own care plan policy required individualized comprehensive care plans with measurable objectives and timeframes, developed and implemented by the IDT and revised based on identified needs from assessments.
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