Care plans not updated for injuries, vaping, and swallowing preferences
Summary
The facility failed to keep resident care plans current with changes in condition and resident preferences for three residents reviewed. For one resident with encephalopathy, obstructive hydrocephalus, chronic respiratory therapy, malnutrition, hypokalemia, and anemia, the care plan last reviewed on 05/05/26 identified anticoagulation-related bleeding risk and impaired transfers with use of a mechanical lift, but it was not revised to include interventions to prevent skin tears. The resident had a Hoyer lift order and later received warfarin, and the record showed a skin tear to the right hand during a Hoyer transfer and another skin tear to the left lower leg later in the month. Nursing notes documented the injuries, and the resident stated the hand injury occurred during transfer and that his skin had been pulled back on his hand. For another resident with progressive multiple sclerosis, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, and depression, the smoking and safety assessment noted balance problems, poor fine motor skills, and inability to safely hold or extinguish tobacco products. The care plan last updated on 06/15/26 identified the resident as a smoker who should wear an apron and be supervised when smoking, but it did not reflect that the resident also vaped. During observation, the resident was seen outside using a disposable vape without an apron, and the resident stated staff usually did not put on the smoking apron when he vaped, only when he smoked cigarettes. The DON confirmed the resident smoked but was not aware he vaped, and confirmed the care plan did not reflect vaping. For a third resident with CHF, severe protein-calorie malnutrition, and dysphagia, the care plan last reviewed on 05/12/26 addressed nutritional risk, limited mobility, and a pureed diet with supplements, but it did not include the resident’s preference to recline while eating or specific swallowing-related interventions. The resident’s MDS showed moderate cognitive impairment, and physician orders included a pureed diet with thin liquids. During lunch, the resident was observed reclining in a wheelchair at about a 30-to-40-degree angle while eating a pureed meal. The RD confirmed the positioning was a potential choking hazard, and RN staff confirmed the resident preferred to recline while eating and that the care plan did not show that preference or specify safe swallowing interventions.
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.