Failure to Include Colostomy and Midline Catheter in Comprehensive Care Plans
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to develop and update comprehensive care plans that described all services to be furnished to meet residents’ needs. For one male resident admitted and readmitted after hospitalization for sepsis and multiple surgeries, including creation of a colostomy, the 5‑day MDS showed intact cognition, a urinary catheter, a colostomy, and groin/perineal abscesses. His care plan, completed shortly after admission, identified him as a new admission post‑sepsis with goals to identify immediate health and safety needs and included approaches such as catheter use for wound management, turning and repositioning, and treatments per physician orders. However, the care plan did not address his colostomy, associated goals, or specific interventions, despite documentation on admission that he had an intact, functioning colostomy and family reports that he had undergone multiple surgeries and skin grafts and was receiving colostomy care at the facility. For a female resident with diagnoses including encephalopathy, cellulitis, UTI, and pressure ulcers, the admission MDS reflected moderately impaired cognition, a Foley catheter, bowel incontinence, and no IV therapy while a resident. Physician orders later documented initiation of a midline catheter for long‑term IV fluid infusion, including orders for 3 liters of normal saline at a continuous rate, ongoing flushes every 12 hours to maintain patency, and a subsequent order to start another PICC/midline for IV infusion. Nursing staff reported that the midline was placed due to poor oral intake and failure to thrive, that it remained patent and was flushed per orders, that it was found to be no longer present on a later shift, and that another midline was inserted for additional fluids. Observation confirmed the resident had a midline in the upper arm with a clean, dry, intact dressing. Despite these clinical circumstances and active physician orders, the resident’s care plan last revised in mid‑April did not address the presence of the midline catheter or related care and interventions. Interviews with the MDS nurse and Clinical Service Director confirmed that MDS coordinators, DON, ADONs, and floor nurses shared responsibility for initiating and updating comprehensive and baseline care plans, and that devices such as urinary catheters, midline catheters, and colostomies should be care planned to address resident needs and interventions. The facility’s written policy on the care plan process stated that a comprehensive, person‑centered care plan would be developed and implemented for each resident, including instructions needed to provide effective care that meets professional standards of quality, but this was not followed for the two residents’ colostomy and midline catheter.
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