Failure to Document Weekly Wound Assessments and Measurements
Summary
The facility failed to complete weekly wound assessments, including wound measurements, for a resident with an open right knee wound. The resident had diagnoses including muscle weakness, need for assistance with personal care, diabetes mellitus, and an open wound on the right knee. Her MDS assessments documented intact cognition, substantial to maximum assistance needs for dressing and mobility, dependence for transfers, toileting, and lower body dressing, and risk for pressure-related injuries. The resident also had care plan entries for impaired skin integrity and potential for pressure ulcer development related to decreased mobility. Review of the resident’s EMR showed wound-related documentation for coccyx assessments in December 2024 and January 2025, but no wound RN assessments or wound data collection assessments after those entries. Skin observation assessments in May 2025 documented either no skin conditions or a superficial abrasion on the left foot, but they did not document the resident’s right knee wound. The MAR and TAR showed treatment orders for the right knee, including skin prep in June 2025 and cleansing with NS, applying medihoney, and covering with bordered foam in July 2025, with documentation that the treatments were done on scheduled shifts. However, the EMR lacked evidence of wound assessments or wound measurements for the right knee wound during the June hospitalization period and after the resident returned to the facility in July. A provider note later described the right knee wound as chronic, stable, and present for greater than one year, and stated the abrasion had not healed. That note did not include wound measurements. A hospital document later provided measurements for the right knee wound, showing length, width, and depth. During interviews, nursing staff stated that wound measurements should have been documented in the wound data collection assessments and that weekly wound assessments and measurements were supposed to be completed even if the wound doctor was not following the wound directly. The facility policy stated that abrasions and similar skin injuries should be monitored weekly and documented on the Skin Observation UDA and care plan, and that wound-related assessments and documentation should include the Braden Scale, Positioning Assessment and Evaluation, Skin Observation, Wound Data Collection, and Wound RN Assessment UDAs.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release July 29, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
In your survey window? See what surveyors are citing.
The Survey-Prep Report maps your facility's risk from 12 months of CMS and state citation data — what's being cited around you and what to check first. $129 one-time.