Care plans not revised after bedrails were removed
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the comprehensive care plan was reviewed and revised by the interdisciplinary team after assessment changes for two residents whose bedrails had been removed from their beds. For Resident #16, the quarterly MDS dated 05/14/2026 indicated severe cognitive impairment with a BIMS score of 06 and documented daily bedrail use as a physical restraint, while the care plan dated 11/26/2025 still described bed rails as an enabling device with interventions to observe and report changes in effectiveness or possible reduction. However, physician orders did not indicate bedrails, and the bed rail safety review dated 05/08/2026 recommended alternatives such as a low bed and education on turning and positioning. During observations on 06/15/2026 and 06/16/2026, Resident #16 was seen ambulating with a walker and her bed had no bedrails. Staff interviewed stated she did not have bedrails or any restraint device on her bed and did not recall her ever having bedrails in the memory care unit. The MDS Coordinator later stated that if bedrails were removed, they should have been removed from the MDS and care plan, and that Resident #16 should not have been coded for restraints because she did not have bedrails. She also stated the quarterly MDS and care plan were not accurate and should have been revised when the bedrails were removed or discontinued. For Resident #58, the quarterly MDS dated 04/30/2026 showed severe cognitive impairment with a BIMS score of 03 and daily bedrail use as a physical restraint, while the care plan with a target date of 07/02/2036 stated that bedrails were to remain on the bed per the resident’s request for bed mobility. Physician orders did not indicate bedrails, and the bed rail safety review dated 02/16/2026 recommended alternatives such as a low bed and education on turning and positioning. During observation on 06/17/2026, Resident #58 was in her room with no bedrails on the bed and stated she did not have side rails and could get out of bed without them. Staff also stated she did not have bed rails and did not remember her ever having them. The MDS Coordinator, ADON, DON, Regional Nurse, and Administrator all acknowledged that care plans should be reviewed and revised with assessment changes, and the MDS Coordinator stated the bedrail care plan had been overlooked for Resident #58.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release October 8, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
In your survey window? See what surveyors are citing.
The Survey-Prep Report maps your facility's risk from 12 months of CMS and state citation data — what's being cited around you and what to check first. $129 one-time.