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

Failure to follow ordered consults, medications, treatments, and documentation

Ellicott City Healthcare CenterEllicott City, Maryland Survey Completed on 02-19-2026

Summary

The facility failed to ensure that ordered specialty consults were scheduled for a cognitively intact resident who reported concern that physician-ordered referrals had not been followed up on. The medical record contained orders for infectious disease, urology, neurology, and neurosurgery follow-up, but there was no documentation showing what progress, if any, had been made in arranging those appointments. The Unit Nurse Manager stated the orders were entered into the computer system for the secretary to arrange, but the secretary position was open and she could not provide evidence that any of the appointments had been scheduled. The facility also failed to administer and document a topical antifungal as ordered for a resident with erythema and rash to the peri area and under both breasts. The wound specialist recommended nystatin powder twice daily for 14 days, and the corresponding order directed application to the groin and left breast. The MAR showed repeated documentation of administration, but the location entries were inconsistent and often did not match the ordered sites. Survey review found that staff frequently documented application to the groin or breasts without documenting all ordered areas, and the medication was not applied to the area under the breast for multiple consecutive administrations. The Unit Nurse Manager stated that each specific area on the body should have its own order and confirmed staff were expected to read the whole order. A resident receiving insulin for diabetes reported not having received insulin injections for the past couple of weeks, yet the MAR showed daily documentation of insulin administration. During surveyor observation, staff could not locate the ordered Tresiba in the medication cart or refrigerator, and the Unit Nurse Manager confirmed the medication was not available and had not been requested from pharmacy since December 2025. The DON confirmed the Tresiba was not available to be administered on the evening in question, but the MAR documented that it had been given subcutaneously in the left deltoid. The nurse who documented the dose stated he did not administer it and entered the administration because he believed that was the only way to remove it from the red status. The facility also had multiple gaps in documentation for another resident with chronic pain and several chronic conditions, including hypertension, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, and COPD. The record showed missing documentation for ordered medications, vital signs, Aquaphor application, and monitoring for bleeding, antidepressant side effects, and pain on multiple dates, with additional undocumented instances in the prior month. In another case, a resident with a cholecystostomy drainage bag reported that a nurse had left the bag open and caused leakage onto the bed, and the surveyor observed yellowish-brown liquid on the sheets. The care plan included monitoring drain output, but the MAR lacked documentation that the drain output was recorded or the abdominal drain was emptied on specified dates.

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

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0684 citations
Medication Dose Error and Midline IV Care Failure
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

An LPN administered only one tablet of methotrexate instead of the ordered six-tablet dose for a resident with RA. The facility also failed to maintain ordered midline IV care for another resident receiving IV abx, with observations showing a soiled dressing, site discoloration, and later no midline or IV pump present despite orders for ongoing site monitoring, dressing changes, and line removal after tx completion.

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 Oxygen Orders for Resident with COPD
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia and COPD had an order for continuous O2 via NC, with SpO2 to be maintained between 88% and 92% and not exceed 92%. The record showed SpO2 readings below 88% on room air and multiple readings above 92% while on supplemental O2, with no nursing interventions documented; the DON stated the resident’s SpO2 should have been better monitored and the physician’s O2 order more closely followed.

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 Monitor Loose Stools and Bleeding During Anticoagulant Therapy
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with a stage 4 pressure injury and sepsis had ongoing loose stools, but the MAR showed no documented PRN loperamide use and the record showed no provider notification despite repeated large loose stools. The same resident was also receiving daily anticoagulant injections and was observed with dark red urine in an indwelling catheter, yet there was no documented bleeding/bruising monitoring, no progress note about the blood in the urine, and no alert charting.

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 Up on GI Symptoms, Stool Testing, Specialty Referral, and Diagnostic Order
G
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with chronic GI symptoms, malnutrition, diabetes, depression, and PTSD had persistent watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea, but the facility did not adequately track stool testing, confirm lab results, or complete the ordered GI referral. The resident reported frequent diarrhea, fatigue, reduced intake, and soreness, while staff documentation showed conflicting entries about specimen refusal versus sleeping, and the lab later had no record of the specimen that was charted as sent. The record also lacked evidence that the GI specialist appointment was scheduled or completed, and a separate resident’s ordered ECHO for pericardial effusion was not documented as scheduled or completed.

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.
Delayed Dermatology Appointment for Facial Lesion
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with a growing facial lesion had a dermatology consult delayed for about 3 months. The resident’s chart included provider orders for dermatology follow-up, but the appointment remained pending while the lesion increased in size. Notes from the NP and unit manager documented ongoing waiting for the consult, and the DON stated the health plan should have scheduled it and that consults need to be scheduled in a timely manner.

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 Hold Parameters for Metoprolol
D
F0684 F684: Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Short Summary

A resident with HTN and HF had an order for metoprolol succinate to be held if the pulse was below 55 bpm, but MAR and pulse record review showed missing pulse documentation on multiple occasions, pulse checks done after the med was given, and doses administered when the pulse was less than 55 bpm. Staff stated the pulse should have been checked before administration, and the DNS confirmed the expectation was to follow the order and hold the med when indicated.

Inspection fine: $17,665
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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