Delayed Care Planning for Dentures and Sedating Medication
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement comprehensive care plans in a timely manner for three residents who had specific care needs related to dentures and use of Haloperidol. The report states that the deficient practice involved Resident 22, Resident 28, and Resident 4, and that the care plans were not developed when the residents’ conditions and needs were identified through assessment, observation, and record review. Resident 22 was admitted and later readmitted to the facility with diagnoses including COPD, diabetes mellitus, and dementia. The MDS indicated the resident was moderately impaired in daily decision-making, dependent on staff for multiple ADLs, and edentulous. Dental notes showed dentures were delivered to the facility, and the resident was observed without natural teeth and stated she had dentures but did not know where they were. Staff interviews confirmed the resident refused to wear her dentures. The MDS nurse stated the care plan for the resident’s edentulous status was developed only after the annual MDS was completed, and that a care plan addressing refusal to wear dentures should also have been developed sooner. Resident 28 was admitted with diagnoses including COPD, anemia, muscle weakness, GERD, and diabetes. The resident’s H&P stated she could make needs known but could not make medical decisions, and the MDS showed mild impairment in daily decision-making and need for supervision with ADLs. A dental evaluation report showed the facility received the resident’s full upper and lower dentures, and the resident stated she needed her dentures to eat. The SSD and DON stated the dentures were received by social services, but nursing was not informed, and the dentures were omitted from the special needs list and belongings record. The DON stated the resident needed an individualized care plan for denture care, including cleaning, storage, fit monitoring, and assessment for discomfort or oral breakdown, and that this did not occur because of a communication breakdown. Resident 4 was admitted and readmitted with diagnoses including COPD, muscle weakness, dysphagia, and dementia. The MDS showed severe impairment in daily decision-making, dependence on staff for toileting, bathing, and dressing, and the H&P stated the resident lacked capacity to understand and make decisions. A physician order directed Haloperidol 4 mg by mouth twice daily. Observations showed the resident asleep in bed, slow to respond to verbal prompts, and on another occasion unresponsive to verbal and tactile stimulation until a sternal rub was performed. LVN 6 stated the resident had been napping extensively and keeping his eyes closed for approximately one to two months before the care plan was initiated, and that the care plan should have been started sooner.
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