F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
D

Failure to Follow Up on Dermatology Recommendations Delayed Treatment

Altamaha Healthcare CenterJesup, Georgia Survey Completed on 08-09-2025

Summary

The facility failed to follow up on outside dermatologist recommendations for a resident with a history of seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, edema, fragile skin, limited mobility, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral vascular disease. The resident’s dermatology office visit note recommended triamcinolone and ketoconazole 2% cream for seborrheic dermatitis on the face and ears, and fluorouracil for actinic keratosis on the body, but the facility record showed only an order for treatment of the right forehead area with triamcinolone mixed with moisturizer and a bandage. There was no evidence of orders for the ketoconazole or fluorouracil recommendations. During interviews, the NP stated she had not received the dermatology consultation and had not seen the recommendations for the other areas of concern. The treatment LPN stated she only received basic after-care orders and did not get the dermatology notes or recommendations. The LPN UM and DON stated the nurse assigned to the resident or the UM should have followed up when the resident returned without paperwork, and the Administrator stated there was a delay in treatment because no follow-up was done. The resident stated it took a year to get the dermatology appointment for removal of skin cancer from the left temple, and the NP stated the missing dermatology records made the resident’s record inaccurate and caused a delay in treatment.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

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See other F0684 citations
Failure to Follow Care Plan for Protective Sleeve
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

Failure to Follow Care Plan for Protective Sleeve: A resident with severe cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and PVD had a care plan directing staff to keep protective sleeves on the left elbow at all times due to skin tear risk. During repeated dining room observations, the resident was not wearing the sleeve. A NA said she did not apply it because the resident would remove it and chew on it, and an RN said he was unaware the sleeve was not being worn.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Follow Wound Care Orders and Dressing Documentation
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

Failure to follow wound care orders and dressing documentation requirements was cited for multiple residents. A resident had a skin tear dressed without a physician order, another resident had a knee dressing with no date or initials, and a third resident had a dated dressing and pain patch that did not reflect the ordered treatment schedule. The DON and wound care RN acknowledged that dressings and treatments should be completed as ordered and that dressings are expected to be dated and initialed.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Follow Ordered Treatments and Weight Monitoring
E
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

Failure to Follow Ordered Treatments and Weight Monitoring: The facility did not ensure ordered care was carried out for several residents. One resident with Parkinson’s disease and anxiety sustained a skin tear to the hand during an agitated episode, but there was no physician order for the wound treatment that was provided. Two residents had ordered weekly weights that were not obtained as scheduled, and the records did not explain why. Another resident with HTN, depression, and DM had body blisters, but the wound company’s recommendation for skin prep was not entered as an order, and there was no documented evidence that the practitioner was contacted about the missed recommendation.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Follow Insulin Orders
E
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

Failure to Follow Insulin Orders: Two residents with diabetes received insulin contrary to physician orders. One resident was given insulin aspart at times when blood glucose was below the ordered hold parameter, and a second resident received scheduled insulin without documented meal intake despite orders to hold if blood sugar was low or if less than 50% of the meal was eaten. The DON confirmed the medication administration did not follow the orders.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Follow Bowel Management Protocol
E
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

Failure to follow bowel management protocol: three residents had extended periods without a BM and no documented nursing interventions despite the facility’s protocol requiring specific measures after 2, 3, 4, and 5 days without a BM. The residents had significant diagnoses including schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, TBI, and Alzheimer’s disease, and the RNC confirmed the missing BM-related interventions in the chart.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Wheelchair Footrest Not Adjusted for Resident With Limited LE ROM
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, severe cognitive impairment, limited ROM in both LEs, and dependence on staff for wheelchair locomotion was observed sitting in her wheelchair with her feet hovering above the footrests. CNAs confirmed her feet did not reach the footrests, and an administrative nurse stated the footrest needed to be adjusted to better fit and support her feet.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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