Failure to Complete Significant Change Assessments for Two Residents
Summary
The facility failed to complete significant change in status assessments (SCSA) within 14 days for two residents after changes in condition met the criteria for a federally mandated comprehensive assessment. The report states the facility did not have a specific policy for SCSA completion and instead relied on the RAI manual. The MDS Coordinator said she was new to the position, was still learning the manual, did not know that resident improvements could trigger an SCSA, and did not know that a resident who did not return to baseline within 14 days after illness required an SCSA. For one resident, the annual MDS showed multiple baseline conditions including cognitive intactness, several ADL assist levels, occasional bowel and bladder incontinence, mild depression symptoms, chronic pain, and a weight of 124 pounds. The quarterly MDS later showed a new diagnosis of pneumonia, no signs or symptoms of depression, increased pain frequency affecting sleep, and a weight of 126 pounds. Physician orders and nursing notes also documented a new wound on the right gluteal crevice with yellow slough, maceration, erythema, mild pain, limited mobility, and bowel and bladder incontinence since recent illness. A later observation found an open wound on the right side of the tailbone with bleeding and red granulated tissue exposed, described by staff as a Stage III pressure ulcer. The facility did not complete a comprehensive SCSA after the new dementia diagnosis, decline in several ADLs, weight loss, new pressure ulcer, new antipsychotic pain medication, increased pain, and new behaviors. For the second resident, the annual MDS showed moderately impaired cognition, walker and wheelchair use, multiple ADL assistance needs, frequent bowel and bladder incontinence, several chronic diagnoses, risk for pressure ulcers, and one unhealed Stage II pressure ulcer. The quarterly MDS later showed cognitive intactness, new physical and verbal behaviors, rejection of care, loss of walker use, improvements in several ADLs and transfers, changes in mobility with dependence for wheelchair propulsion, occasional bowel incontinence, new diagnoses of pneumonia and urinary tract infection, and a healed pressure ulcer. A subsequent quarterly MDS also showed continued behavioral symptoms, changes in mobility, mixed ADL changes, and ongoing pain with PRN pain medication use. The facility did not complete an SCSA after the resident had several improvements in ADLs and cognition along with declines in mobility and behaviors.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to Complete Significant Change MDS Assessment: A resident with dementia, progressive neurological conditions, and seizure disorder had an admission MDS that coded no mobility device use and independence with ADLs, but later was observed ambulating with a walker and gait belt. Quarterly MDSs still did not code walker use and showed increased ADL assistance needs, yet no comprehensive or significant change MDS had been completed. MDS coordinators said they were unaware of the walker use, believed the resident likely should not have been coded as independent, and confirmed the significant change MDS was missed.
The facility failed to complete a Significant Change MDS within the required timeframe for a resident with diabetes and COPD who was admitted to hospice. The MDS Coordinator acknowledged that the assessment was completed after the 14-day deadline.
The facility failed to complete an MDS SCSA within the required timeframe after a resident elected hospice. The resident’s hospice services began and the SCSA was completed late, and the MDS Coordinator acknowledged the assessment was probably completed after the 14-day window. CMS RAI guidance requires a SCSA when a terminally ill resident enrolls in hospice and remains in the facility.
The facility failed to complete SCSA MDS assessments within 14 days for two residents after fractures were identified. One resident with dementia, osteoporosis, AFib, HTN, and depression had a right fibular fracture after a foot/ankle injury, and another resident with dementia, TIA history, stroke history, hypothyroidism, and bilateral above-the-knee amputations had a left elbow fracture. The DON could not provide a policy or documentation for when and how a significant change assessment is completed, and the DON and an LPN confirmed the assessments were not done.
Delayed Significant Change Assessment for Hospice Election: A resident with cancer elected hospice, but the facility did not complete the SCSA within the required 14-calendar-day timeframe. The MDSC stated she did not know the assessment had to be completed within 14 days, and the DON believed they had 2 weeks to complete a significant change for hospice. The facility policy listed the MDS completion date as the 14th calendar day after determination of significant change in status.
Failure to complete timely significant change assessment: A resident with Alzheimer's disease, stroke, DM2, dysphagia, depression, heart disease, and dementia with agitation had a 5.15% weight loss in one week and developed a stage III pressure ulcer on the bilateral buttocks after an MDS showed no significant weight change and no unhealed pressure ulcers. The ADON stated she was unaware of any IDT discussions about whether a Significant Change MDS should have been completed before hospice was initiated.
Failure to Complete Significant Change MDS Assessment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a significant change MDS assessment for a resident with a history of progressive neurological conditions, non-Alzheimer's dementia, and seizure disorder or epilepsy. The admission MDS showed a BIMS score of 8 out of 15, no upper or lower range of motion impairment, no use of mobility devices, and independence or set-up/clean-up help only for all ADLs. However, observation later showed the resident ambulating with a walker and wearing a gait belt, which differed from the admission assessment and from subsequent quarterly MDS assessments. The quarterly MDS assessments also did not code the resident as using a walker and showed increased assistance needs, including partial/moderate assistance with oral hygiene, personal hygiene, showering/bathing, and toileting hygiene, as well as supervision or touching assistance with some other ADLs. Review of the completed MDS assessments showed no comprehensive MDS, including a significant change assessment, had been completed since admission. MDS coordinators stated they were not aware the resident was using a walker, believed the resident probably should not have been coded as independent for ADLs on the admission MDS, and confirmed that a significant change MDS should have been completed but had not been.
Delayed Significant Change MDS Completion
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a Significant Change MDS within the required timeframe for Resident 2, who was admitted in 1/2026 with diagnoses including diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. An Election of Benefits and Informed Consent document showed the resident was admitted to hospice services on 5/24/26, but the Significant Change MDS was not completed until 6/18/26, which was 11 days after the required 14-day timeframe. On 7/22/26 at 12:27 PM, Staff 8, the MDS Coordinator, acknowledged that the Significant Change MDS completion date exceeded the required timeframe.
Late MDS SCSA After Hospice Election
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a Minimum Data Set (MDS) Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA) within 14 days of a resident’s hospice election for Resident #30, who was receiving hospice services. Resident #30’s hospice certification and plan of care documented that hospice care services started on 12/31/25, and the resident’s SCSA MDS documented hospice services. The MDS Summary Page showed the 1/6/26 SCSA MDS was completed on 1/15/26. During interview, the MDS Coordinator stated that a SCSA has to be completed within 14 days of admission to hospice, including the day of admission, and acknowledged that she missed it and probably completed it late. The CMS LTC RAI User Manual states that a SCSA is required when a terminally ill resident enrolls in hospice and remains a resident in the nursing home, and that it must be completed within 14 calendar days after the determination that a significant change in status has occurred.
Failure to Complete Significant Change Assessments After Fractures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA) MDS within 14 days for two residents after changes in condition. Resident 2 was admitted with diagnoses including osteoporosis, dementia with psychotic disturbance, depression, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and dizziness/giddiness. Progress notes dated 6/30/26 documented an injury to the resident’s right foot/ankle, and x-ray findings showed a right fibular fracture. The record review showed no SCSA MDS completed within 14 days of that fracture. Resident 3 was admitted with diagnoses including mental disorders due to known physiological conditions, transient ischemic attack, cerebral infarction without residual deficits, hypothyroidism, bilateral above-the-knee amputations, and dementia. Progress notes dated 12/1/25 documented an x-ray revealing a fracture to the left elbow. The clinical documentation showed no significant change assessment completed within 14 days of that change in condition. The DON was unable to provide a policy or documentation on when and how a significant change is to be done on an MDS, and an interview with the DON and an LPN confirmed that the SCSA MDS was not completed after either resident’s fracture and should have been done.
Delayed Significant Change Assessment for Hospice Election
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA) through the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) process within the required time frame for a resident who elected hospice benefits. Resident #11, who had diagnoses including cancer, was admitted to hospice effective 2/20/26. The resident’s MDS showed that the SCSA dated 3/4/26 was completed on 3/10/26, which was not within 14 calendar days of the hospice election and should have been completed by 3/6/26. During the survey, the resident was observed in a wheelchair and stated that hospice was going well. The MDS Coordinator stated that a significant change for hospice should be done within 14 days of going on hospice and acknowledged that this resident’s MDS was dated 3/4/26, but said she did not know it had to be completed within 14 days. The DON stated she believed they had 2 weeks to complete a significant change for hospice, and the Regional LNHA stated the MDSC misinterpreted the guidelines for opening an MDS versus completion of the MDS. The facility policy titled MDS Completion and Submission Timeframes stated the MDS completion date as the 14th calendar day after determination of significant change in status.
Failure to Complete Timely Significant Change Assessment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to timely complete a significant change assessment for a resident who experienced a major decline in status after a severe weight loss and the development of pressure ulcers. Resident #50 had diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, stroke, type two diabetes, difficulty swallowing, depression, heart disease, and dementia with agitation. An admission/Medicare 5-day MDS assessment showed the resident was severely cognitively impaired, with no or unknown significant weight changes and no unhealed pressure ulcers at that time. The resident's record later showed a weight of 203.9 pounds on 05/19/26 and 193.4 pounds on 05/26/26, a 5.15% loss in one week. A weekly wound observation dated 05/25/26 documented that the resident had acquired a stage III pressure ulcer on bilateral buttocks. The Facility RAI 3.0 User's Manual states a significant change assessment should be completed by the 14th calendar day after the facility determined the change occurred. During interview, the ADON stated she was unaware of any IDT discussions to determine whether a Significant Change MDS should have been completed prior to initiation of hospice in July 2026.
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