F0692

E

Failure to Consistently Offer and Maintain Accessible Hydration for Multiple Residents

Houston, Texas Survey Completed on 03-19-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that multiple residents were consistently offered sufficient fluids and had fluids within reach, as required by their care plans and the facility’s hydration policy. Eight residents with severe cognitive impairment and various medical conditions, including renal disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, malnutrition, and mobility deficits, were observed on multiple occasions without accessible drinking water or other fluids at their bedsides or in their rooms. Care plans for these residents identified potential fluid deficits related to conditions such as dialysis, poor memory, low intake, memory loss, dementia, and ADL self-performance deficits, and included interventions such as encouraging fluids, ensuring fluids were within reach, and informing nursing staff if residents refused fluids. Meal tickets for these residents showed they were typically provided between 24 and 32 ounces of fluids per day on meal trays, often in small 4–8 ounce portions of juice or milk, with no additional water routinely present on the trays.

On specific observation dates, surveyors repeatedly found residents in bed or in wheelchairs with no water or other fluids within reach, despite their dependence on staff for transfers and assistance with eating and drinking. One resident with end stage renal disease and dysphagia had a 32‑ounce cup of water placed on a windowsill out of reach and reported the water was not fresh and that he did not know when it had last been refilled; at another meal he drank the only 8‑ounce drink on his tray and stated he would drink more if more were available. Other residents were observed waiting for breakfast or asleep in bed with no water at the bedside, and in some cases the only fluids present during meals were small cups of juice and milk. Several residents were unable to independently access fluids placed on shelves or other surfaces out of reach, and some expressed thirst or a desire for water when asked.

Staff interviews and environmental observations further described systemic issues with the hydration process. An ice chest on one hall was observed with only an inch of water and a few ice cubes early in the morning, and later the same day it still contained only an inch of water with the ice melted or removed. A CNA reported uncertainty about who was responsible for filling the ice chest, stated that on two days no one filled it and fresh water was not passed on certain halls, and noted that residents who could not get up had to ask for water. The CNA also stated that the cups on meal trays were small and that trays did not routinely include water. The licensed dietitian stated that residents should be offered about 64 ounces of fluid daily, with a minimum of 50 ounces even for those with fluid restrictions, and acknowledged that if residents received only small amounts at meals, nursing would need to consistently offer additional fluids. The ADON and DON both stated that fresh ice water was expected to be passed every shift and that ice chests and scoops were to be maintained, but acknowledged that for at least two days nursing staff had not ensured residents received fresh ice water and that meal trays did not include water. The facility’s hydration policy required staff to offer hydration during direct care interactions, around meals, during medication passes, and during activities, and to maintain fresh water at the bedside when not contraindicated, but observations and interviews showed these practices were not consistently followed for the residents reviewed.

Additional interviews with nursing staff and administration confirmed that there was no clearly assigned responsibility for filling and cleaning the ice chests each shift, and that the ice machine on one side of the building was broken, requiring staff to go to the other side for ice. A CNA reported that aides were supposed to fill pitchers with water every two hours when the ice chest was filled, but that they waited for someone to fill the chest and, during the two days in question, this did not occur. The ADON and DON both stated that residents were also receiving fluids through medication administration and beverages such as juice, milk, and coffee at and between meals, but acknowledged that ice water needed to be offered every shift and that the observations made during the survey were not consistent with their expectations. The medical director and licensed dietitian both indicated that residents should be offered at least 1500–1900 cc (50–64 ounces) of fluids daily, while the documented meal offerings for the affected residents fell below this minimum, and the lack of consistent bedside water and hydration rounds contributed to residents not being offered the minimum quantity of fluids on the days observed.