Failure to Assess Residents Prior to Bed Rail Use
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors found that the facility failed to assess residents for the use of bed rails prior to their application, contrary to the facility’s own policy. Observation conducted with the Director of Nursing (DON) showed that 19 identified residents had bed rails on their beds, and the DON confirmed that these residents had not been assessed for the appropriateness of bed rail use before the rails were applied. The facility’s written policy, dated 02/05/26, states that staff will assess residents for the appropriateness of bed rails prior to use and will attempt and document less restrictive measures before implementing bed rails. Despite this policy, the required safety risk assessments and consideration of less restrictive alternatives were not completed or documented for any of the 19 residents observed with bed rails in place. This deficiency affected 19 residents reviewed for bed rails out of a total facility census of 107 residents. The DON’s interview corroborated the observation findings and confirmed noncompliance with the facility’s policy regarding pre-use assessment of bed rails and documentation of attempts at less restrictive measures.
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