Inaccurate MDS Assessment of Wander/Elopement Alarm Use
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure an accurate MDS comprehensive assessment for a resident with dementia and a documented history of wandering and elopement risk. Record review showed that the resident’s care plan, revised on 6/13/25, identified the resident as an elopement risk/wanderer related to dementia and included an intervention to check a Wanderguard device on the right ankle for placement and function. A physician’s order dated 12/4/25 also directed that a Wanderguard be applied to the resident’s right ankle and that its placement be checked each shift. Despite these orders and care plan interventions, the quarterly MDS assessment dated 12/18/25 documented that a wander/elopement alarm was not used, with the Wander/elopement alarm item coded as 0 (not used) for this resident. During an interview, the Administrator acknowledged the issue by indicating that an MDS modification was going to be submitted, confirming that the original MDS did not accurately reflect the resident’s use of a Wanderguard alarm.
We Help Long-Term Care Teams Stay Survey-Ready
We process and analyze inspection reports and plan of correction using AI to extract insights and trends so providers can improve care quality and stay ahead of compliance risks.