Failure to Assess and Obtain Consent for Bed Rail Use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a resident was free from the use of physical restraints unless needed for medical treatment by not assessing the safety of bed rail use or obtaining informed consent prior to use. Facility policy on Use of Assistive Devices, dated 12/29/25, required that assistive devices be used based on a comprehensive assessment and in accordance with the resident’s plan of care, and the Restraint Free Environment policy, reviewed 12/31/25, defined bed rails as a type of physical restraint. Resident #18, admitted with diagnoses including leukemia, dementia, anxiety, and depression, was observed in bed with a transfer pole on the left side and a 1/4 bed rail on the right side of the bed. Review of the resident’s record showed no documentation of a restraint assessment or consent form for the 1/4 bed rail, and on 4/3/26 the CRN confirmed that no restraint assessments had been completed for this bed rail. The report states this deficient practice had the potential for physical and psychosocial harm if the resident were injured, trapped, or felt she was being restrained unnecessarily. This deficiency was cross-referenced to F656.
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