Unsecured Bedside Medications Left Unattended
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in medication security and administration when a resident’s medications were left unattended at the bedside. The resident, admitted in 1/2019 with diagnoses including hemiplegia, hemiparesis, and dysphagia, was observed with a medicine cup labeled "18B" containing three pills on top of the overbed table. During the observation, the resident stated they were not sure if the medications were for them and did not know when the medications had been left there. The resident further reported that staff left medications on the overbed table all the time and that they had not requested staff to leave medications at the bedside. A concurrent observation with a licensed nurse confirmed the presence of the medicine cup with three pills on the resident’s overbed table. The nurse stated that staff should not leave medications at residents’ bedsides and acknowledged that medications should be administered under staff observation. Another licensed nurse similarly stated that medications should not be left at the bedside because staff were supposed to watch residents take their medications and that leaving them was a safety risk. The Interim DON stated that staff should not leave medications at the bedside and that this practice was not allowed per facility policy. Review of the facility’s policies on administering medications and self-administration of medications showed requirements that medications be administered safely and stored in a safe, secured place not accessible by other residents, and that any medications found at bedside and not authorized for self-administration be given to the charge nurse.
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