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

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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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