Failure to document and monitor foot wounds and maintain accessible EMR records
Summary
The facility failed to document an assessment and monitor open areas on a resident’s foot and failed to keep medical records accessible in the electronic medical record. Resident 41 was admitted with diagnoses including heart failure, obesity, cellulitis of the lower limb, anxiety, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The resident also had a care plan history of picking at skin, recurring cellulitis, and fungal dermatitis/ulcers to both feet and ankles. During an interview and observation, the resident was found in bed with multiple blackened, scabbed areas on the toes, with swollen feet and ankles, and reported the areas were turning black and she did not know why. A review of the medical record showed no documentation of the wounds on the toes and no orders for treatment to the foot wounds. Weekly head-to-toe skin checks were not readily available in the electronic medical record, and staff reported that paper documents had to be scanned and uploaded. The DON stated there were no recent skin assessments uploaded in the EMR and that the facility was in the process of setting up wound documentation in the EMR, but it had not been started. Staff also reported that documents might still be in piles of paper or awaiting scanning, and one weekly skin check dated 3/6/26 was located during the review. Paper documentation that was found included weekly skin checks dated 2/24, 3/3, 3/6, 3/13, and 3/17. The 3/13/26 skin check noted an open area on the coccyx/between thighs and right foot, with the left foot circled on the diagram, but there was no clear assessment or treatment documentation for the open area on the foot. The DON reported the resident’s toes were being kept open to air and that there was no treatment for the toes. The NP paper note from the resident’s 3/24/26 visit documented a history of picking at scabs and toes when bored and causing bleeding, but the assessment and plan did not document further assessment of the foot wounds or a treatment plan. The facility policy required wound assessment data to be recorded in the medical record and paper documentation to be scanned and uploaded in a timely manner.
Penalty
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