F0561 F561: Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
D

Missed tracheostomy cares and tube feedings

Harmony House Health Care CenterWaterloo, Iowa Survey Completed on 06-30-2026

Summary

The facility failed to ensure that a resident with intact cognition and multiple complex diagnoses, including respiratory failure, tracheostomy status, dependence on a respirator, diabetes, malnutrition, depression, psychotic disorder, anxiety, and myotonic muscular dystrophy, received care and services in accordance with her assessment and plan of care. The resident’s care plan required tracheostomy cares twice daily, but the record showed refusals on several occasions in May 2026 and missing documentation on other scheduled times. A respiratory therapist stated the resident preferred the inner cannula change only once daily and never accepted albuterol treatments, while another respiratory therapist stated the resident reported that agency staff did not come in to perform tracheostomy cares as ordered. The facility also failed to provide the resident’s ordered tube feeding regimen as scheduled. The record showed an order for enteral feedings multiple times per day, but in May 2026 the resident frequently received fewer feedings than ordered, including days with only three feedings and one day with only two feedings. Documentation reflected refusals and occasional holds related to residuals or the resident stating she felt full, but the progress notes did not contain documentation of alternative feeding options for the missed feedings. A nutrition note stated the current regimen might not adequately meet estimated nutrition needs due to frequent refusals and noted ongoing concerns with significant weight loss and pressure areas. Interviews showed the resident and her representative stated she did not like to wake up early and that her feeding schedule had been changed later to better match her routine, but they also reported a missed or delayed feeding when a new nurse did not arrive on time. A nurse practitioner stated the resident refused almost 50 percent of her feedings and had failure to thrive, and expressed concern that staff were not cleaning the tracheostomy twice daily as ordered. The facility’s enteral feeding policy described feeding protocols but did not address resident choice, preference-based scheduling, or how to manage dietary refusals.

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 F0561 citations
Failure to Promote Resident Self-Determination
D
F0561 F561: Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
Short Summary

Failure to Promote Resident Self-Determination: A resident with CVA, DM2, and difficulty walking had blue mats left on the floor while out of bed, blocking access to the refrigerator. The resident stated he could not reach his pop and yogurt, while an NA, an LPN, and the ADON all stated the mats should be moved out of the way when the resident was not in bed and that he was able to self-propel to the refrigerator.

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.
Resident Denied Requested Shower
D
F0561 F561: Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
Short Summary

A cognitively intact resident with a spinal fracture and dependence for bathing was scheduled for showers twice weekly, but she reported receiving only bed baths since admission despite wanting showers. Staff gave conflicting accounts about shower access and assistance, and one NA stated he did not provide a shower because it was too much work and required extra help, while the DON and Administrator stated the resident should have received a shower if she wanted one.

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 Honor Residents’ Bathing Preferences
D
F0561 F561: Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
Short Summary

Failure to Honor Bathing Preferences: Two residents did not receive the showers they preferred and were scheduled for, and instead were given bed baths without documentation of shower refusal. One resident with fx of the L femur, DM, and muscle weakness stated he had not received a shower since admission, while another resident with dementia, anxiety, muscle weakness, and depression had only received bed baths despite a stated preference for showers. Staff and the DON confirmed showers were to be offered first and refusals documented, but no refusal documentation was found.

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.
Resident’s Nighttime Intoxication and Disruptive Behavior Woke Other Residents
E
F0561 F561: Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
Short Summary

A resident with alcohol dependence, severe cognitive impairment, and repeated intoxication was frequently loud, cursing, argumentative, and disruptive during overnight hours, waking other residents who said they wanted to sleep through the night. EHR entries and staff interviews showed he often returned late at night intoxicated, refused redirection, played loud music, and yelled at the nurses’ station, while staff reported they could not get him to stop and often left him be if he was not hurting himself or others.

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 Honor Resident Bathing Preferences
D
F0561 F561: Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
Short Summary

Failure to honor a resident’s bathing preference. A resident with acute and chronic respiratory failure, chronic diastolic failure, cerebral infarction, and weakness had a documented preference for showers and required substantial to maximal assistance with bathing. Despite this, the shower log showed bed baths were provided instead of showers on multiple occasions, and the RDON confirmed the resident had not received the preferred showers.

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 Honor Resident Choice for Getting Out of Bed
D
F0561 F561: Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
Short Summary

A resident with intact cognition and total ADL dependence was not assisted out of bed for 3 consecutive days despite requesting his usual morning routine. NA staff and a nurse confirmed the resident remained in bed because of staffing call outs and a lack of 2 staff needed for a mechanical lift transfer, and the resident said he was frustrated at being stuck in bed.

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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