F0689

G

Failure to Provide Safe, Supervised Incontinence Care Resulting in Fall and Femur Fracture

Concord, California Survey Completed on 03-23-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure a resident was free from accident hazards and received adequate supervision during incontinence care, resulting in a fall from bed and multiple injuries. The resident was admitted in December 2025 and had a Minimum Data Set (MDS) dated 12/17/25 showing a Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) score of 3/15, indicating severely impaired cognition. The MDS Section GG documented that the resident was dependent for toileting hygiene. The baseline care plan dated 12/12/25 specified that the resident required two-person physical assistance for personal hygiene and bed mobility. A fall risk care plan initiated on 12/12/25 included interventions such as floor mats on both sides of the bed, keeping the bed in a low position, and frequent monitoring when the resident was in bed or a chair, with a goal of no falls over a 90-day period.

Skilled charting dated 12/31/25 documented that the resident did not bear weight, had an unsteady gait requiring supervision, impaired balance, weakness, and paralysis, and required assistance with transfers and toilet use. The resident was incontinent of urine. On 1/2/26, a change of condition note indicated the resident had fallen out of bed, with impaired balance identified as a fall risk factor. A post-fall evaluation on 1/2/26 recorded that the fall occurred at noon in the resident’s room, with poor balance noted as a factor. The incident summary described the resident, a 77-year-old female with hemiplegia and hemiparesis following a cerebral infarction affecting the left dominant side, as confused but able to move herself toward her left side and fall from the bed to the floor. The resident sustained a skin tear on the forehead and right facial area below the periorbital region and complained of left arm pain rated 6/10, and was transported to a hospital for evaluation.

A rehab post-fall review dated 1/8/26 stated that the event occurred in the resident’s bedroom from the bed and that a CNA had begun to change the resident, then left the room to obtain supplies and assistance while the bed was at working height and not lowered. The air mattress was described as having adjusted and slid the resident out of bed, and the resident was found on the floor when the CNA returned. In an interview, the CNA reported being informed by the family that the resident needed incontinence care, entering the room alone to confirm incontinence and obtain consent for a shower, elevating the bed, and turning the resident to assess the brief, confirming stool incontinence. The CNA stated the bed was lowered “a little” before leaving the room to gather gloves and request assistance, and that moments later the resident was found on the floor; the CNA was unsure if floor mats were in place. The CNA acknowledged knowing the resident required two-person assistance for incontinence care but wanted to confirm soiling and consent first, and stated that two-person assistance was important so dependent residents were not left alone.

During a concurrent interview and record review with the ADON and DON, the fall care plan and rehab post-fall review were examined. The DON stated that, based on documentation listing floor mats as a post-fall intervention, it could be assumed there were no floor mats in place at the time of the fall. The DON further stated that the CNA should not have left the resident with side rails down and the bed elevated before exiting the room, and should have gathered necessary supplies and requested assistance before entering the room for incontinence care. The DON explained that due to the resident’s limited cognition and one-sided partial mobility, the resident was able to shift herself off the bed onto the floor, and that dependent, total-care residents warranted two-person assistance for incontinence care and should not be left alone mid-care. Hospital emergency department documentation described the fall as unwitnessed, with the resident found on the floor about 15 minutes after last being seen, and noted lacerations and abrasions, shortening of the right leg, and a reported “pop” in the right lower extremity. Imaging showed a frontal/perinasal hematoma and a comminuted distal right femoral fracture. Facility policies on falls and resident quality of care required identification of fall risk factors, implementation of interventions to prevent falls, and provision of a safe environment free of accident hazards with adequate supervision.