Failure to Provide Ordered Restorative Nursing Services
Summary
The facility failed to provide restorative nursing services to maintain or improve residents’ functional status as directed by therapy for three residents. The deficiency was identified through observation, interview, and record review, and the facility policy stated that restorative nursing care may be started during the course of a stay or when discharged from rehabilitative care, with individualized goals outlined in the care plan. For one resident with hemiplegia and hemiparesis following a stroke and chronic pain, therapy had previously addressed ROM, strength, balance, transfers, and ADLs, with goals for ROM, strengthening, and transfers. The restorative therapy log showed multiple weeks with no restorative therapy provided, and the resident stated he/she should receive restorative therapy but did not receive it regularly. The resident also said that when restorative therapy was missed, he/she tightened up and it could be painful. The RA said the resident sometimes refused, while the DON said he/she did not believe the resident had refused RT. The resident’s care plan listed ADL dependence, fall risk, and therapy orders, but the POS did not document restorative therapy orders. For another resident with a complete knee-level amputation, the care plan stated the resident required assistance with ADLs, transfers, and mobility using a Hoyer lift and wheelchair, and that the resident would improve current function through the next review date. The resident and NOK both stated restorative therapy had been requested in care plan meetings, but the resident was not on the list and was told he/she would be placed on it. The resident said the ankle was declining and becoming contracted. The RA said the resident did not receive RT, while the ADON, MDS Coordinator, and DON were unsure whether RT had been requested or addressed, and the POS did not include restorative therapy orders. For a third resident with chronic pain syndrome, weakness, wheelchair use, and dependence for multiple ADLs, therapy discharge information showed active ROM and transfer training/balance with specific upper and lower extremity exercises. The baseline care plan stated the resident required two-person physical assist for transfers and that the PT goal was to improve functional status through restorative nursing. The restorative aide notebook contained only limited entries and several date ranges with no documentation of completed or not completed services. The resident said he/she wanted to exercise and had previously done so with staff, but could not make the leg work. Multiple staff members stated RT should occur three times per week, that the RA was sometimes pulled to the floor to work as an aide, that residents did not always receive RT three times per week, and that RT should be documented in the care plan.
Penalty
Resources
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