Life Care Center Of Post Falls
Inspection history, citations, penalties and survey trends for this long-term care facility in Post Falls, Idaho.
- Location
- 460 North Garden Plaza Court, Post Falls, Idaho 83854
- CMS Provider Number
- 135135
- Inspections on file
- 17
- Latest survey
- August 14, 2025
- Citations (last 12 mo.)
- 8
Citation history
Health deficiencies cited at Life Care Center Of Post Falls during CMS and state inspections, most recent first.
A resident with muscle weakness and intact cognition was found with Tums and Rolaids at the bedside without a completed self-administration assessment. The LPN confirmed that medications should not be left at bedside without proper assessment, and facility policy requires an IDT assessment before allowing self-administration, which was not conducted.
A deficiency was cited when a resident's right to request, refuse, or discontinue treatment, participate in or refuse experimental research, and formulate an advance directive was not honored by the facility.
A resident with type 2 diabetes did not receive a required dose of insulin because an RN was unaware of emergency stock medication procedures. The RN, new to the facility and on their first shift off orientation, had not been properly oriented to emergency medication access, and the competency checklist was incomplete and unsigned. The facility's policy required competency in medication management, but the necessary training and documentation were lacking.
A resident with diabetes did not receive a prescribed dose of Humalog insulin when a nurse, unaware of the emergency stock supply, failed to administer the medication as ordered. The resident's blood sugar was elevated, and the insulin was only given later after the nurse learned about the emergency stock. The DON confirmed that insulin should have been administered from emergency stock if the resident's supply was unavailable.
Surveyors found that medications and biologicals were not consistently labeled with open and discard dates, and expired items were not removed from medication carts or storage rooms. A resident's skin protectant cream and a box of Pepto Bismol tablets were found expired, and an LPN identified an opened vial of tuberculin without an open date. Staff interviews confirmed lapses in checking expiration dates and following facility policy for medication labeling and storage.
The facility did not have an RN on duty for eight consecutive hours on several occasions, as required by regulations. Staffing records showed no RN coverage on specific dates, confirmed by the DON and Administrator. This failure potentially affected all 64 residents by leaving nursing needs unmet.
Medications Left at Bedside Without Required Self-Administration Assessment
Penalty
Summary
A resident admitted with a diagnosis including muscle weakness and assessed as cognitively intact (BIMS score 15/15) was found to have medications, specifically Tums and Rolaids, at their bedside without a completed self-administration assessment. The resident reported taking the Tums as needed and confirmed the presence of both Tums and menthol rub on the bedside table. Subsequent observation also revealed a half-full bottle of Rolaids and menthol rub at the bedside while the resident was out of the room. A review of the electronic medical record showed no self-administration assessment had been completed for this resident, and the order summary only listed Tums, not Rolaids. An LPN confirmed that medications should not be left at the bedside without proper assessment and that the resident did not have a self-administration order. The facility's policy requires an interdisciplinary team assessment before allowing self-administration of medications, which was not followed in this case.
Failure to Honor Resident Rights Regarding Treatment and Advance Directives
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified regarding the failure to honor a resident's right to request, refuse, or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. The report notes that the facility did not ensure these resident rights were upheld, as required by regulation. Specific actions or omissions by facility staff that led to this deficiency are not detailed in the report, nor are there descriptions of the circumstances or medical history of the resident(s) involved.
Failure to Ensure Nurse Competency in Medication Administration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a registered nurse (RN) had completed the necessary competencies to administer ordered medications, resulting in a resident with type 2 diabetes not receiving a required dose of insulin. The resident had a physician's order for Humalog insulin to be administered according to a sliding scale based on blood sugar readings. On one occasion, the resident's blood sugar was 229, requiring 4 units of insulin, but the dose was not given. The RN documented that the insulin was not available in the facility at the time. Later that evening, when the resident's blood sugar was higher, another nurse informed the RN about the availability of emergency stock insulin, which was then administered as ordered. Interviews revealed that the RN was new to the facility and was not aware of the emergency stock medications during orientation. The orientation checklist was incomplete, not signed by trainers or the orientation coordinator, and did not include emergency medication access. The facility's policy required staff to have appropriate competencies, including medication management, but the competency checklist for the RN was blank and did not address emergency stock medications. The DON acknowledged the gaps in the orientation and competency process.
Failure to Administer Insulin Due to Staff Unawareness of Emergency Stock
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with type 2 diabetes mellitus did not receive a prescribed dose of Humalog insulin as ordered by their physician. The resident's blood sugar was measured at 229, which required 4 units of Humalog insulin according to the sliding scale order, but the medication was not administered. The nurse documented that the Humalog was not in the facility at the time. However, subsequent review and interviews revealed that the resident's insulin pen was available, and emergency stock of Humalog insulin was also present in the medication room. The resident had recently been transferred to a different hall, but both the resident's insulin pen and emergency stock were accessible on the new hall. Further investigation showed that the nurse responsible for administering the medication was new and on her first shift off orientation. She was unaware of the availability of emergency stock insulin and was advised by another nurse to document the medication as unavailable. Later that evening, after being informed about the emergency stock, the nurse administered the required insulin dose when the resident's blood sugar had increased to 317. The Director of Nursing confirmed that the facility's expectation is to use emergency stock if a resident's insulin pen is not available, and not administering insulin as ordered is considered a significant medication error.
Failure to Label and Remove Expired Medications
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to ensure medications and biologicals were properly labeled with open and discard dates, and that expired medications were removed from availability. During a review of a medication cart, a tube of skin protectant cream was found with a resident's name but lacked an open or discard date, and the manufacturer's expiration date indicated it was expired. The certified medication aide confirmed the cream was expired and should have been discarded. In the central supply room, a box of Pepto Bismol tablets was found to be expired and was only discarded after being pointed out by surveyors. Additionally, in a medication storage room, an opened vial of tuberculin was found without an open date, and the LPN confirmed it should be discarded due to the missing date. Interviews with staff revealed that the skin protectant cream had come from the hospital and was not checked for expiration before being placed in the medication cart. The weekend manager was identified as responsible for reviewing carts for proper labeling and removal of expired items, while the central supply director was responsible for monitoring expiration dates in central supply. The facility's policy requires staff to record the date opened on medication containers when a shortened expiration date applies, and to separate expired medications from others until disposal. These requirements were not consistently followed, leading to the deficiencies observed.
Failure to Ensure RN Coverage for Required Hours
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a registered nurse (RN) was on duty for eight consecutive hours per day, as required by regulations. This deficiency was identified through a review of the facility's staffing policy, staffing records, and staff interviews. The facility's policy mandates adequate staffing on each shift to meet residents' needs, including posting daily staffing data and providing staffing information to the state. However, the staffing records from January 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024, revealed that there was no RN coverage on January 27, February 4, February 10, and March 3, 2024. The Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed the absence of an RN on these dates after reviewing the timecard information. The Administrator acknowledged significant issues with RN coverage at the beginning of the year, confirming that no RN was scheduled to work on the specified dates. This failure had the potential to affect all 64 residents living in the facility by leaving routine and emergency nursing needs unmet.
Latest citations in Idaho
Surveyors found that kitchen staff failed to follow food storage and labeling standards, including multiple dry goods with past or missing use-by dates, undated and improperly sealed refrigerated and frozen items such as cut vegetables, meats, and prepared salad dressings, and a tray where leaking salami was stored with cheese. An allegedly clean skillet was observed with encrusted food on its surfaces. The Food Service Manager acknowledged that items should have been sealed, dated, and cleaned in accordance with the Idaho Food Code.
The facility failed to accurately complete and post daily nurse staffing information for each shift. Surveyors found that on multiple days, required census data was missing from Daily Staffing sheets, some Daily Staffing sheets were not available at all, and on other days nursing data, including the number of hours worked by nurses, was not documented. Facility leadership acknowledged that these Daily Staffing sheets should not have been missing or incomplete. This deficiency had the potential to affect all residents, their representatives, visitors, and others seeking to review staffing levels.
A resident with COPD and diabetes was allowed to keep an albuterol HFA inhaler at the bedside and self-administer it as needed, sometimes using it twice daily, without documented assessment for safe self-administration as required by facility policy. The only self-administration evaluation on file addressed nebulizer treatments after nurse set-up, and there was no physician order for nebulizer use. Observations showed the inhaler on the over-bed table and the resident taking two puffs, while the CNO later confirmed that no assessment for inhaler self-administration could be found in the record.
A resident with multiple diagnoses, including diabetes and COPD, had a physician’s order for apixaban 5 mg twice daily and a corresponding care plan directing staff to administer the anticoagulant as ordered and to monitor and document specific side effects such as abnormal bleeding, bruising, black stools, pink-tinged urine, leg pain or swelling, nausea, vomiting, and sudden chest pain or shortness of breath. Record review showed no documentation that staff monitored for these anticoagulant side effects as required by the care plan, and the CNO confirmed that monitoring for the anticoagulant was not in place despite the expectation that it should have been.
The facility failed to timely revise care plans when treatment needs changed for two residents. One resident with multiple conditions, including dysphagia and hypertension, had an antidepressant discontinued after refusal to take it, but the care plan continued to list the medication for depression and appetite without being updated. Another resident with significant respiratory diagnoses had orders for continuous O2 via nasal cannula, yet was repeatedly observed without the cannula in place. Staff reported frequent refusal of nasal cannula and BiPAP and verbal instructions to ensure use or document refusals, but there were no written notes or care plan updates addressing these refusal behaviors or directing staff response.
A resident with multiple medical conditions, including respiratory disorders and diabetes, had physician orders for scheduled laxatives and a three-step PRN bowel protocol to be used when no bowel movement occurred within specified timeframes. Over a four-day period without a documented BM, the MAR showed that none of the ordered bowel protocol steps were administered, and there was no documentation of bowel care on one of those days. Facility records also lacked any notes of medication refusal or staff education regarding bowel care, and leadership confirmed the absence of documentation and implementation of the ordered bowel protocol.
Surveyors found that staff failed to follow physician orders and facility policy for oxygen and respiratory care. One resident with COPD was ordered continuous O2 at 2 LPM via nasal cannula, but was observed without the cannula and the RN did not intervene. Another resident’s CPAP mask was left uncovered and not stored in a bag as required. A third resident with acute and chronic respiratory failure and asthma had been using O2 at 3.5–4 LPM without a documented MD order or care plan, with the nasal cannula and tubing observed on the floor and then rehung without replacement, while the only documented order was for 2 LPM.
The facility did not maintain the required minimum of eight consecutive hours of RN coverage in a 24-hour period, instead providing only three hours of RN presence on one reviewed day. Review of daily staffing sheets and licensed nurse timesheets confirmed the shortfall in RN hours, and the Director of Clinical Resources acknowledged that an RN had not worked the required duration and should have. This lapse created the potential for routine and emergency nursing needs of all residents to go unmet.
The facility failed to maintain secure medication storage and control. A resident with multiple serious medical conditions was found storing and self-administering Lactaid from a bedside nightstand without a corresponding physician order on the MAR. In a separate instance, an LPN left a medication cart unattended with a medication cup containing a pill on top of the cart while entering a resident’s room, and acknowledged this was improper.
A resident receiving IV meropenem via a PICC line for septic shock related to a UTI had an active care plan and door signage requiring enhanced barrier precautions, including use of gown and gloves for high-contact care and device care to reduce MDRO transmission. During an observed medication administration, an LPN performed hand hygiene, donned gloves, accessed and flushed the PICC line, and administered the antibiotic without donning a gown, later stating she had forgotten to do so. The IP confirmed that a gown was required before administering the antibiotic, and this failure created the potential for infection spread.
Improper Food Storage, Labeling, and Equipment Cleanliness in Kitchen
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s food service operations related to improper storage, labeling, and cleanliness of food and equipment. Review of the Idaho Food Code showed that refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety foods held more than 24 hours must be clearly date-marked and used or discarded within seven days, counting the day of preparation as Day 1. During a kitchen observation with the Food Service Manager, surveyors found multiple dry storage items with past or missing use-by dates, including a container of garlic powder with a use-by date of 12/18/24, a container of chili powder with a use-by date of 2/25/25, an opened bag of taco seasoning with no opened or use-by date, and a container of chocolate sauce with a use-by date of 3/13/26. In the refrigerators, surveyors observed cut onions in a container with a use-by date of 4/10/26, an opened undated bag of cut cabbage, and a tray holding both bagged cheese and an unsealed bag of salami with liquid that had leaked onto the shared tray. Ham was stored in a container with no use-by date, and small individual cups labeled as salad dressing were marked only with a prep date of 3/28 and no use-by date. In the freezers, there was an opened undated bag of chicken wings and an opened, unsealed, undated box of seasoned beef patties. In the clean pan area, a skillet was found with encrusted food on both the inside and outside surfaces. The Food Service Manager acknowledged that opened food items should have been properly closed and sealed, all food items needed use-by dates, and the encrusted pan should have been cleaned correctly.
Failure to Accurately Complete and Post Daily Nurse Staffing Information
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that nurse staffing information was accurately completed and posted daily for each shift as required. On review of the facility’s Daily Staffing sheets, the surveyor found that for several specified dates in September 2025, census data was missing on some Daily Staffing sheets, and on other dates the Daily Staffing sheets themselves were missing entirely. Additionally, for multiple dates in January 2026, the Daily Staffing sheets lacked nursing data, specifically the number of hours worked by nurses. During an interview, the CNO and Director of Clinical Resources acknowledged that the Daily Staffing sheets should not have been missing or incomplete but confirmed that they were. This deficiency had the potential to affect all residents in the facility, as well as their representatives, visitors, and others who wished to review the facility’s staffing levels. No specific residents, medical histories, or clinical conditions were described in the report; the deficiency pertained to facility-wide staffing documentation and posting practices rather than to an individual resident’s care.
Failure to Assess Resident for Safe Self-Administration of Inhaler Medication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a resident was properly assessed for safety to self-administer medication before allowing bedside use of an inhaler. Facility policy on Self-Administration of Medications, revised 9/16/25, stated residents may self-administer medications when it was determined to be safe and appropriate. The resident, admitted with multiple diagnoses including COPD and diabetes, had a physician’s order dated 4/9/26 for Albuterol Sulfate HFA inhaler, one puff every four hours as needed for shortness of breath, with permission to keep the inhaler at the bedside. A Self-Administration of Medication Evaluation dated 3/24/26 documented the resident was fully capable of administering nebulizer treatments after set-up by the nurse, but there was no corresponding physician’s order for nebulizer use. During observations, surveyors saw the inhaler on the resident’s over-bed table, and the resident reported using it when needed, sometimes twice a day. On another observation, the resident was seen taking two puffs of the albuterol inhaler. When questioned, the CNO initially stated the resident had an assessment to self-administer the inhaler, but when the surveyor reported that no such assessment was found in the record, the CNO said she would look for it. The following day, the CNO stated she was unable to find any assessment indicating the resident had been evaluated to self-administer the inhaler, acknowledging that the resident should have had such an assessment.
Failure to Implement Anticoagulant Monitoring Interventions in Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s implementation of a comprehensive, person-centered care plan related to anticoagulant therapy. The State Operations Manual Appendix PP requires that comprehensive care plans include specific interventions to enable residents to meet objectives, and the facility’s own policy states that care plans must include measurable goals, appropriate interventions, and realistic timeframes. Resident #2, admitted and later readmitted with multiple diagnoses including diabetes and COPD, had a physician’s order dated 12/27/25 for apixaban 5 mg by mouth twice daily. In response, the facility initiated a care plan on 12/27/25 documenting that the resident was on anticoagulant therapy and directing staff to administer the medication as ordered and to monitor and document effectiveness and potential side effects, including abnormal bleeding or bruising, black stools, pink-tinged urine, leg pain or swelling, nausea and vomiting, and sudden onset of chest pain or shortness of breath, with instructions to notify the physician as indicated. Record review showed that Resident #2’s documentation did not include evidence that staff were monitoring for the side effects of the anticoagulant as outlined in the care plan. Despite the care plan’s specific directive to monitor and document for these potential adverse effects, there was no corresponding monitoring documentation in the resident’s records. During an interview on 4/14/26 at 10:15 AM, the CNO confirmed that Resident #2 did not have monitoring in place for the anticoagulant and stated that there should have been a monitor. This lack of documented monitoring demonstrated that the facility failed to ensure that the comprehensive, person-centered care plan interventions for anticoagulant therapy were implemented for this resident.
Failure to Timely Revise Care Plans After Medication and Oxygen Therapy Changes
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure comprehensive care plans were revised timely and as needed when residents' conditions or treatments changed, contrary to its Resident Care Plan Revisions policy requiring prompt review and revision with any change in condition, response to treatment, or care needs. For one resident with hypertension, dysphagia, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions, the care plan documented use of an antidepressant (Mirtazapine) for depression and appetite, last revised on 3/10/24. The Medication Administration Record showed that Mirtazapine was discontinued on 4/6/26 due to the resident’s refusal to take the medication, but the care plan was not updated to reflect this change. The CNO acknowledged that the care plan should have been updated when the antidepressant was discontinued. Another resident with pneumonia, diabetes, respiratory disorders, respiratory failure, shortness of breath, and pulmonary edema had a physician’s order dated 2/4/26 for continuous oxygen at 2 LPM via nasal cannula. The resident’s care plan directed staff to provide oxygen therapy as ordered via nasal cannula. However, the resident was observed on multiple occasions not wearing the nasal cannula while eating breakfast, lying in bed, and sitting in a chair. An LPN stated that the resident frequently did not wear her nasal cannula or BiPAP and that staff were verbally instructed to ensure she wore the nasal cannula or to document if she did not, but there were no corresponding notes in the medical record directing staff on these behaviors. A physician’s note later documented the resident’s refusal to wear the nasal cannula and BiPAP and a request to consider reducing oxygen requirements and/or orders, and the CNO stated the care plan related to nasal cannula and BiPAP refusal behaviors should have been updated at that time.
Failure to Implement Ordered Bowel Protocol for Constipation Management
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a failure to follow physician orders for bowel care for one resident. The resident was readmitted with multiple diagnoses including pneumonia, diabetes, respiratory disorders, respiratory failure, shortness of breath, and pulmonary edema. Physician orders included scheduled Miralax twice daily, Bisacodyl 5 mg daily for constipation prevention, Senna Plus twice daily, and a three-step PRN bowel protocol: Senna tablets as step #1 if no bowel movement (BM) in 72 hours, oral Bisacodyl tablets as step #2 if no BM in 96 hours, and a Bisacodyl rectal suppository as step #3 if no BM by the following morning after completing oral Bisacodyl. Record review showed the resident had no documented BM from 4/9/26 through 4/12/26, a four-day period that met criteria for activation of the ordered bowel protocol. The MAR from 4/9/26 to 4/13/26 documented that the resident did not receive bowel protocol step #1, step #2, or step #3 during this time. There were no records available for 4/12/26 related to bowel care, and there were no progress notes documenting any refusal of bowel medications by the resident or any education provided by staff. The ACNO confirmed that the MAR lacked documentation of bowel protocol medications on 4/12/26 and 4/13/26 and that there were no related progress notes.
Failure to Follow Oxygen Orders and Respiratory Care Policy
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to follow its own oxygen administration and respiratory care policy and to provide respiratory services as ordered by physicians. For one resident with paranoid schizophrenia and COPD, surveyors observed the resident not wearing his ordered continuous oxygen via nasal cannula, and an RN entered and exited the room without addressing the missing cannula, despite an active order and care plan for continuous oxygen at 2 LPM. Another resident with a history of stroke and diabetes had a CPAP mask left uncovered and unbagged on the bedside table, contrary to the facility policy requiring respiratory supplies to be stored in a bag labeled with the resident’s name when not in use. A third resident with acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia and asthma was observed with an oxygen concentrator at the bedside, with the nasal cannula and tubing on the floor and later hanging over the concentrator. The resident reported using oxygen at 4 LPM since admission and stated the cannula had not been replaced after falling on the floor, only relabeled with a new date. Record review on two consecutive days showed no physician order for oxygen and no care plan for oxygen therapy until a later date, even though the concentrator was observed set at 3.5–4 LPM. The CNO confirmed that an oxygen order was only in place for 2 LPM and acknowledged that oxygen should not have been provided or set above the ordered amount without a physician’s order.
Insufficient RN Coverage for Required 8-Hour Minimum
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure an RN was on duty for at least eight consecutive hours in a 24-hour period as required. During review of the facility’s Daily Staffing sheets and licensed nurse timesheets, the surveyor identified that on August 10, 2025, the facility had only three hours of RN coverage in the entire 24-hour period. On April 14, 2026, at 3:36 PM, the Director of Clinical Resources confirmed that an RN had not worked for at least eight hours on that date and acknowledged that an RN should have been on duty for that minimum period. This deficiency had the potential to affect all residents residing in the facility by leaving routine and/or emergency nursing services potentially unmet.
Failure to Maintain Secure Medication Storage and Control
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure medications were stored securely, as required by its Medication Storage & Labeling policy, which mandates that medications be stored and labeled in accordance with CMS regulations, state law, and acceptable professional principles. One resident, admitted with diagnoses including toxic encephalopathy and acute respiratory failure with hypoxia, was observed keeping a bottle of Lactaid in her bedside nightstand and reported taking one or two tablets as needed, despite there being no physician order for Lactaid on her MAR when it was later reviewed by an LPN. In a separate observation, an LPN left the medication cart to enter a resident’s room while a medication cup containing a small pill remained unattended on top of the cart, and the LPN acknowledged that this should not have been done. These observations showed that the facility did not maintain secure control of medications, including an over-the-counter product used independently by a resident without a corresponding physician order, and a prescribed medication left unattended on the medication cart.
Failure to Use Required Enhanced Barrier Precautions During PICC Line Medication Administration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement enhanced barrier precautions for a resident receiving IV antibiotic therapy via a PICC line, as required by the resident’s care plan and posted signage. The resident, admitted with diagnoses including nicotine dependence, hypertension, anxiety, and insomnia, had a physician’s order for meropenem IV three times daily for septic shock related to a urinary tract infection. A care plan revised on 4/12/26 documented that the resident was on enhanced barrier precautions to reduce the risk of MDRO transmission related to the PICC, directing staff to use gowns and gloves when performing high-contact resident care or device care. Enhanced Barrier Precaution signage was posted on the resident’s door. On 4/14/26 at 3:39 PM, during an observed medication pass, an LPN entered the resident’s room with meropenem, performed hand hygiene, and donned gloves, then sanitized the PICC line needle connector cap, flushed the line with normal saline, and administered the meropenem without donning a gown. The LPN later stated she forgot to put on the gown and acknowledged she should have worn it before accessing the PICC line. The Infection Preventionist confirmed that a gown was required prior to administering the antibiotic and that the nurse should have worn a gown. This deficient practice created the potential for the spread of infection and its associated complications.
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