Mary Ann Morse Nursing & Rehabilitation
Inspection history, citations, penalties and survey trends for this long-term care facility in Natick, Massachusetts.
- Location
- 45 Union Street, Natick, Massachusetts 01760
- CMS Provider Number
- 225555
- Inspections on file
- 17
- Latest survey
- January 23, 2026
- Citations (last 12 mo.)
- 0
Citation history
Health deficiencies cited at Mary Ann Morse Nursing & Rehabilitation during CMS and state inspections, most recent first.
A facility failed to allow a resident, capable of making their own medical decisions, to review and sign important medical documents, including Advanced Directives and medication consents. Instead, these were signed by the resident's representative, despite the Health Care Proxy not being invoked. The facility did not address the resident's decision-making capabilities, and the required review and documentation of the MOLST form were not completed.
The facility failed to maintain accurate and accessible Advance Directives for two residents. One resident's MOLST form was not part of the active medical record, leading to a discrepancy with the physician's orders. Another resident's MOLST did not match the physician's orders, causing inconsistencies in documented treatment preferences.
A resident developed multiple Stage 2 pressure ulcers due to the facility's failure to conduct timely skin assessments and implement a recommended therapeutic air mattress. Despite a CNA noting redness on the resident's buttocks, a licensed nurse did not complete a follow-up assessment, and the resident continued to use a standard mattress, contrary to a physician's recommendation.
A facility failed to provide appropriate care for residents with dementia, leading to unmet needs and distress. One resident made undignified comments towards another without staff intervention. Another resident expressed a desire to leave an activity and requested bathroom use, but staff did not respond promptly. A third resident attempted to stand multiple times, indicating a need to move, but staff did not engage appropriately to determine their needs.
A resident with ESRD did not receive Sevelamer medication as required during the medication pass process. The medication, intended to be taken with meals, was administered without food by a nurse who was unaware of the proper administration instructions. The nurse admitted to not reading the medication instructions, and the unit manager acknowledged the oversight.
A facility failed to maintain accurate medical records for a resident, particularly in documenting advanced directives and code status. The resident's Health Care Proxy was invoked temporarily, but the facility did not follow up, and the MOLST form was improperly signed. The Dialysis Transition of Care Form showed inconsistent code status entries, alternating between DNR, Full Code, and being left blank, leading to potential confusion during dialysis.
The facility failed to adhere to infection control standards on the Cedar and Birch Units. On the Cedar Unit, a resident on Enhanced Barrier Precautions was not attended to with the required PPE by staff. On the Birch Unit, a nurse did not properly disinfect a glucometer between uses, using alcohol wipes instead of the facility-approved bleach wipes, potentially contaminating the carrying case and medication cart.
The facility failed to offer updated pneumococcal vaccinations to three residents who were eligible and not up-to-date with their vaccinations. Despite the facility's policy requiring assessment and offering of vaccines within 30 days of admission, these residents were not provided with the necessary vaccinations. The Infection Preventionist confirmed the oversight and could not provide evidence of vaccination offers for these residents.
The facility failed to provide education on the benefits and risks of COVID-19 vaccines to three residents before administration, as required by policy. The Infection Preventionist admitted to not having evidence of providing necessary education, resulting in a deficiency in the vaccination process.
The facility inaccurately coded MDS assessments for several residents, indicating outdated Pneumococcal Vaccinations as current and incorrectly documenting catheter types due to errors in record transfer and review.
Failure to Allow Resident to Sign Medical Documents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident, who was capable of making their own medical decisions, was given the opportunity to review and sign important medical documents. These documents included Advanced Directives, side rail consent, self-administration of medication consent, and consent for the use of psychotropic medications. Despite the resident being identified as their own decision-maker, the facility allowed the resident's representative to sign these documents instead. The resident's clinical record showed that the Health Care Proxy was not invoked, indicating that the resident was capable of making their own decisions. However, the facility did not address the resident's medical decision-making capabilities, as confirmed by a social worker. The facility's policy required an initial review and discussion about the MOLST form with the resident, which was not completed or documented in the medical record.
Inaccurate and Inaccessible Advance Directives
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that Advance Directives were accurate and accessible for two residents. For one resident, the facility did not maintain a completed MOLST form as part of the active medical record, which was necessary for staff to access in case of a change in the resident's condition. This resident, who was cognitively intact, had a completed MOLST form indicating specific treatment preferences, but it was found in an old chart and not accessible to staff. The resident's current physician's orders did not reflect the MOLST form, leading to a discrepancy in the resident's documented treatment preferences. For another resident, the facility failed to ensure that the physician's orders matched the resident's current MOLST. The resident's MOLST indicated a DNR and DNI status, with some sections left blank, while the physician's orders included instructions that were not aligned with the MOLST, such as allowing hospital transport and the use of non-invasive ventilation. This inconsistency between the MOLST and the physician's orders could lead to confusion regarding the resident's treatment preferences.
Failure to Prevent and Manage Pressure Ulcers
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide adequate pressure ulcer care and prevention for a resident, leading to the development of pressure ulcers. The resident, who was admitted with no pressure ulcers but was at risk due to conditions such as COPD, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes, had a CNA document redness on the buttocks. However, a licensed nurse did not complete a necessary skin assessment following this observation, and the assessment was not re-attempted after being initially refused by the resident. This lack of timely assessment and intervention resulted in the development of multiple Stage 2 pressure ulcers on the resident's buttocks and coccyx. Additionally, the facility did not follow through on a community physician's recommendation for a therapeutic air mattress to prevent pressure ulcers. The recommendation was not reviewed with the facility physician, and the resident continued to use a standard mattress. This oversight occurred despite the resident's history of pressure ulcers and inability to frequently change positions, which increased the risk of skin breakdown. The facility's failure to adhere to its own policies for skin assessment and to implement recommended preventative measures contributed to the resident's development of pressure ulcers. The lack of communication and follow-up regarding the community physician's recommendation for an air mattress further exemplifies the deficiencies in care provided to the resident.
Failure to Provide Appropriate Dementia Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide appropriate treatment and interventions for three residents diagnosed with dementia, impacting their physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. Resident #72, who had dementia with behavioral disturbance and Alzheimer's disease, was observed making undignified statements towards Resident #63. Despite having a care plan that required staff to modify the environment and intervene before agitation escalated, staff did not take action to guide Resident #72 away from the source of distress or engage them in a calming activity. Resident #63, diagnosed with dementia with behavioral disturbance and agitation, expressed a desire to disengage from an activity and requested to use the bathroom, but staff did not respond promptly. The resident's care plan required staff to anticipate and meet their needs, yet during a group activity, the resident repeatedly called out and expressed distress without staff offering to remove them from the situation or provide an alternative activity. Additionally, when the resident requested to use the bathroom, staff present in the room did not respond, leaving the resident to continue expressing their need without assistance. Resident #94, with dementia and Parkinson's disease, attempted to stand from their wheelchair multiple times, indicating a need to move or use the bathroom. Despite staff being aware that standing often meant the resident wanted to move, they did not make eye contact or ask questions to determine the resident's needs. The resident's care plan required staff to use simple, directive sentences and ask yes/no questions, but these interventions were not offered timely, resulting in the resident being left without appropriate assistance.
Medication Administration Error for Resident with ESRD
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents were free from significant medication errors during the medication pass process. Specifically, for one resident with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and dependence on renal dialysis, the staff did not administer Sevelamer, a phosphate binder, as required. The medication was supposed to be given with meals to control high blood phosphorus levels, but it was administered without food, contrary to the physician's orders and the facility's medication administration policy. During an observation, a nurse administered the Sevelamer medication to the resident without ensuring it was taken with food, despite the resident's indication that it should be taken with meals. The nurse was unaware of the requirement to administer the medication with food and admitted to not reading the medication instructions. The unit manager confirmed that the nurse should have reviewed the medication instructions and listened to the resident's input.
Inaccurate Documentation of Advanced Directives and Code Status
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain complete and accurate medical records for a resident, specifically regarding the documentation of advanced directives and code status. The resident, who was admitted with diagnoses including altered mental status, malignant neoplasm of the prostate, and hypertensive chronic kidney disease, had a Health Care Proxy (HCP) invoked temporarily due to moderate incapacity for medical decision-making. However, the facility did not follow up on the invocation, and the MOLST form was signed by the HCP without proper authorization. Additionally, the facility's Dialysis Transition of Care Form, which serves as a communication tool between the facility and the dialysis center, contained inconsistent and inaccurate documentation of the resident's code status. The form showed discrepancies in the resident's code status over several dates, with entries alternating between DNR, Full Code, and being left blank. This inconsistency in documentation could lead to confusion regarding the appropriate response in the event of a cardiac emergency during dialysis.
Infection Control Deficiencies on Cedar and Birch Units
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to infection control standards on two units, Birch and Cedar, leading to potential transmission of communicable diseases. On the Cedar Unit, a resident on Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) was not properly attended to by staff using the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). During a wound observation, the Unit Manager did not wear gloves or a gown while handling the resident, despite the care plan indicating the necessity of such precautions. The Infection Preventionist confirmed that the expectation was for staff to wear a gown and gloves during such care activities. On the Birch Unit, the facility did not ensure proper disinfection of glucometers between uses on multiple residents. During a medication administration observation, a nurse failed to sanitize the glucometer after use, placing it back in the carrying case without cleaning it with the facility-approved disinfecting bleach wipes. The Director of Nursing later confirmed that the nurse should have used bleach wipes instead of alcohol wipes, as the latter were not the approved method for disinfecting the glucometer, potentially contaminating the carrying case and medication cart.
Failure to Offer Pneumococcal Vaccinations
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that pneumococcal vaccinations were offered to three residents who were eligible and not up-to-date with their vaccinations. This deficiency was identified during a survey where it was found that the facility did not adhere to its own policy, which required assessing residents for vaccination eligibility upon admission and offering the vaccine within 30 days unless contraindicated or already vaccinated. The policy also mandated that vaccination status be assessed within seven working days of admission. Resident #72, admitted in December 2023 with dementia, had not been offered an updated pneumococcal vaccine despite being eligible, as their last PPSV23 vaccination was in 2005. The Infection Preventionist (IP) confirmed that the resident's vaccination was not up-to-date and could not provide evidence that an updated vaccination had been offered. Similarly, Resident #33, admitted in April 2023 with a cerebrovascular accident, had not been offered an updated pneumococcal vaccine after receiving PCV13 in 2019. The IP was unaware of this resident's vaccination status. Resident #2, admitted in June 2023 with dementia, also had not been offered an updated pneumococcal vaccine after receiving PCV13 in 2014. The IP acknowledged that this resident's vaccination was not up-to-date and could not provide evidence of an offer for an updated vaccination. The facility did not provide any additional evidence to the survey team regarding the vaccination status of these residents at the time of the survey exit.
Failure to Educate Residents on COVID-19 Vaccine Risks and Benefits
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide education regarding the benefits and potential risks associated with COVID-19 vaccines for three residents, leading to a deficiency in their vaccination process. Specifically, the facility did not provide education on the risks, benefits, and potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine to three residents prior to vaccine administration. Resident #33, who was admitted with a diagnosis of cerebrovascular accident, received COVID-19 vaccinations without documented evidence of prior education. Similarly, Resident #2, diagnosed with dementia, was administered a COVID-19 vaccination without documented education on the associated risks and benefits. Resident #81, admitted with a lower leg fracture, was not provided with education on the risks and benefits of additional COVID-19 vaccination doses, despite being offered an updated booster. The facility's policy requires that residents or their legal representatives be informed about the benefits and potential side effects of vaccinations before administration, and that this education be documented in the resident's medical record. However, interviews with the Infection Preventionist (IP) revealed that the facility did not have a process for using consent forms and relied on verbal consent, which was not documented. The IP admitted to the lack of evidence for providing the necessary education to the residents or their representatives, resulting in a failure to comply with the facility's vaccination policy. The survey team did not receive any additional evidence from the facility to support that the required education was provided to the residents involved.
Inaccurate MDS Coding for Vaccinations and Catheter Use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure accurate coding of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments for four residents, leading to deficiencies in the documentation of their health status. For three residents, the MDS assessments inaccurately indicated that their Pneumococcal Vaccinations were up to date, despite records showing that the vaccinations were outdated. Specifically, one resident's last vaccination was in 2005, another in 2019, and the third in 2014. These inaccuracies were identified during interviews with the Infection Preventionist and the MDS Coordinator, who acknowledged the errors and noted that the information was auto-populated from the immunization documentation in the residents' records. Additionally, the facility failed to accurately document the type of urinary catheter in use for another resident. The MDS assessment incorrectly marked the presence of both an indwelling and an external catheter due to an error made by a CNA during the look-back period. This error was transferred to the MDS without proper review and correction before submission. The MDS Coordinator confirmed the mistake during a follow-up interview, highlighting the need for thorough review of documentation before finalizing assessments.
Latest citations in Massachusetts
A resident with metabolic encephalopathy, cardiac disease, a G-tube, and an indwelling urinary catheter had a urine culture and sensitivity ordered, with preliminary results reported to a provider who chose to wait for final results. The final culture showed two bacterial organisms and listed effective antibiotics, but nursing staff did not notify a physician, PA, or NP of these abnormal results or document any notification, despite facility policy requiring such communication and documentation. The PA later stated she was never informed of the results, and the NP reported that during an examination she was not told about the culture findings. Antibiotic orders and administration did not occur until several days after the abnormal results were available, causing a delay in treatment.
A resident with severe dementia and significant anxiety and depression, who was fully dependent on staff for ADLs, verbally said “no” and “stop” during morning dressing care. A CNA floated from another unit continued providing care in an abrupt manner despite these refusals, and the resident appeared anxious, later repeating that she hurt and that the CNA was bad. Two nurses and a weekend supervisor, all familiar with the resident, observed the resident’s anxious behavior and heard her complaints, and the CNA later admitted she did not stop care when the resident told her to stop, contrary to staff expectations that care be stopped when a resident resists or refuses.
A resident with sacral and buttock pressure injuries had physician orders for daily wound care and was assessed by a wound NP, who documented specific wound measurements, drainage, odor, and worsening status over time. However, review of the TAR showed that, although daily dressing changes were recorded, nursing staff did not document required wound characteristics such as appearance, measurements, drainage type and amount, or odor with each treatment, despite an EMR template and standard practice calling for this level of detail. The DON acknowledged that staff should have documented these wound details at each dressing change and noted that EMR order modifications had removed the supplemental documentation prompts, resulting in noncompliance with professional standards and facility policy.
A resident with an unstageable sacral pressure injury, chronic kidney disease, and polyosteoarthritis repeatedly reported and exhibited pain that interfered with participation in PT, including verbal pain ratings of 5–7/10, agitation, tension, and refusal to get out of bed. PT staff documented that the resident was in pain and at times noted the resident was premedicated and that nursing was aware, but the MAR showed no administration of ordered PRN acetaminophen during the period when pain was repeatedly observed. The NP, who documented increased tenderness at the sacral ulcer and noted the resident’s refusal to get out of bed due to hip pain, was unaware of the ongoing pain during therapy sessions and that nursing had not given Tylenol. The DON stated that departments should communicate about pain and document such communication, but there was no documented follow-through by nursing despite the resident’s ongoing verbal and non-verbal indicators of pain.
A resident with chronic kidney disease, polyosteoarthritis, and an unstageable sacral pressure injury had inconsistent and inaccurate wound documentation, with nursing admission records and the TAR reflecting pressure injuries on the right and left buttocks while the wound NP identified a single sacral wound. Despite NP orders and notes recommending q2h repositioning and strict adherence to pressure injury prevention protocols, CNA flow sheets contained no documentation that the resident was repositioned every two hours. Staff interviews confirmed reliance on flow sheets for repositioning documentation and revealed that the option to record q2h repositioning had been missing from the CNA documentation for this resident.
A resident with dysphagia and a physician order for a house diet with ground texture and nectar thick liquids was served a regular-texture lunch tray containing chicken cut into pieces instead of ground. While eating in a secondary dining room, the resident began choking and was observed using the universal choking sign; an RN performed the Heimlich maneuver, successfully expelling a piece of chicken and stabilizing the resident. Post-incident review showed that the tray did not match the diet order, the dietary department had sent the wrong texture, and nursing staff had not checked this or any other lunch trays against meal tickets as required by facility policy, despite their acknowledged responsibility to verify diet accuracy before meal service.
A resident with dysphagia, parkinsonism, and a physician order for a house diet with ground texture and nectar-thick liquids was served a regular texture lunch including whole chicken instead of the ordered ground diet. The dietary aide reported that he likely called out the wrong diet order to the cook and did not verify the plated meal against the resident’s meal ticket before placing it on the tray, contrary to facility procedure. Nursing staff, who were responsible for checking trays against meal tickets before service, also did not verify the meal. During lunch, the resident began choking, was observed using the universal choking sign, and a nurse performed the Heimlich maneuver, expelling a piece of chicken. Review of the diet order and the facility’s internal report confirmed that the meal had not been prepared or checked according to the resident’s prescribed ground diet.
A resident with multiple fractures and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, who was cognitively intact and dependent on staff, was standing in the bathroom holding a grab bar when the resident reported being unable to continue standing due to knee weakness. A CNA lowered the resident to the floor, then independently lifted the resident, placed the resident in a wheelchair, and transferred the resident back to bed before notifying nursing staff, despite facility policy requiring a nursing assessment for injury before moving a resident found on the floor. Nursing staff later learned of the event only after the resident was back in bed and initially were informed only of a skin tear sustained during a transfer, not that the resident had been lowered to the floor, resulting in the resident not being assessed by a nurse prior to being moved.
Two severely cognitively impaired residents with dementia and impaired decision-making were found by a CNA engaged in sexual touching in a bedroom where one did not reside. The CNA immediately removed one resident and reported the incident to a nurse, but the nurse delayed notifying the DON for several hours and the DON and Administrator did not become aware until many hours later. The facility’s written abuse policy referenced a two-hour internal notification timeframe and a 24-hour reporting timeframe to the state, which did not align with current expectations that abuse allegations be reported immediately to administration and to the State Agency within two hours, contributing to delayed reporting of this resident-to-resident sexual abuse allegation.
Two cognitively impaired residents were found by a CNA engaging in sexual contact in a resident’s room, with one resident touching the other’s genital area while reciprocal touching occurred. The CNA immediately removed one resident and informed an RN, but the RN delayed effectively notifying the DON and administration, and the ADON reported no recollection of being informed. As a result of these delays, administrative staff did not become aware of the allegation until many hours later, and the incident was not reported to the State Survey Agency within the required two-hour timeframe, contrary to facility policy requiring prompt reporting of suspected abuse.
Failure to Promptly Notify Provider of Abnormal Urine Culture Results
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure prompt notification of abnormal laboratory results to a provider for a resident who required a urine culture and sensitivity test. The resident, admitted in January 2026 with diagnoses including metabolic encephalopathy, atherosclerotic heart disease, a gastrostomy tube, and urinary retention with an indwelling urinary catheter, had an order for a urinalysis with culture and sensitivity on 01/19/26. Nursing progress notes on 01/21/26 documented that urinalysis and preliminary culture results were obtained and reported to the in-house provider, who chose to wait for the final culture and sensitivity results. The urine culture and sensitivity report dated 01/23/26 showed two types of bacteria and listed effective antibiotics for treatment of a urinary tract infection. From 01/21/26 through 01/28/26, there was no documentation in the nursing progress notes that a physician, PA, or NP was notified of the final culture and sensitivity results, despite the facility’s policy requiring nurses to contact the physician about abnormal test results and document the notification and response. The first antibiotic orders for ciprofloxacin and nitrofurantoin were not written until 01/28/26, and the MAR showed the first doses were administered that day at 5:00 p.m., five days after the abnormal culture and sensitivity results were available. The PA stated she was not notified of the abnormal results, and the NP reported that when she examined the resident on 01/26/26, nursing staff did not inform her of the culture and sensitivity findings. The DON acknowledged awareness of the prolonged period between availability of the urine culture results and initiation of treatment and stated that nurses were responsible for following up on lab results, which did not occur in this case, resulting in a delay in treatment.
Failure to Honor Resident’s Verbal Refusal of Care During ADL Assistance
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure a resident was treated with respect and dignity by honoring the resident’s verbal refusals of care. The facility’s Resident Rights policy, revised 10/04/23, requires that each resident be treated with respect and dignity and that their rights be protected and promoted. On 02/28/26, after receiving care, Resident #1 repeatedly stated that a CNA had hurt her and referred to the CNA as “bad.” The resident was known to have unspecified dementia with psychotic disturbance, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, and a recent MDS dated 02/17/26 documented severe cognitive impairment (BIMS score of 3/15) and dependence on staff for ADLs such as dressing, bathing, and hygiene. On the morning of 02/28/26, CNA #1, who had been floated from another unit, entered Resident #1’s room to provide care. Nurse #1, who knew the resident well, went to the room to check on CNA #1 and observed CNA #1 trying to put a shirt on the resident in an abrupt manner, noting that the resident had an anxious facial expression. Nurse #1 intervened, took over dressing the resident, and was able to put the shirt on without issue. After briefly leaving to speak with another nurse and the Weekend Supervisor about her concerns regarding the interaction, Nurse #1 returned to the room and found the resident seated at the edge of the bed, appearing anxious and repeating the words “stop, don’t hurt me.” Nurse #1 and CNA #1 then assisted the resident into a wheelchair and brought the resident to the nurses’ station. Nurse #2, who also knew the resident well, reported that around this time CNA #1 wheeled the resident to the nurses’ station and parked the resident next to her medication cart. The resident repeatedly said “I hurt, I hurt” while hugging herself and was unable to clearly express what was upsetting her, consistent with her usual difficulty expressing herself and tendency to speak in “word salad.” The Weekend Supervisor later attempted to speak with the resident and observed the resident with arms crossed, appearing anxious, and saying something like “she hurt me.” During the subsequent interview with the DON and Weekend Supervisor, CNA #1 acknowledged that while providing care that morning the resident said “no” and “stop,” and that she did not stop providing care at that time. Multiple nursing staff stated that the expectation is that when a resident resists care or verbally says to stop, staff are to stop what they are doing, regardless of the resident’s dementia status.
Failure to Document Wound Characteristics and Treatment Effectiveness
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that wound care services met professional standards of quality for a resident with pressure injuries. The facility’s wound care policy required documentation of the type of wound care given, date and time, resident position, detailed wound assessment data (including wound bed color, size, drainage), any change in condition, and how the resident tolerated the procedure. The resident was admitted with an unstageable pressure injury on the right buttock and another pressure injury on the left buttock, and had physician’s orders for daily and as-needed wound care, including cleansing, application of calcium alginate, and foam dressing. Subsequent wound nurse practitioner assessments documented an unstageable sacral wound with specific measurements, moderate serosanguineous drainage, and later worsening status with increased size, malodor, and continued moderate serosanguineous drainage, with treatment changes recommended. Despite these orders and assessments, review of the Treatment Administration Records for January and February showed that while nurses documented that daily dressing changes were performed, they did not document the wound’s appearance, measurements, drainage amount and type, or odor during those dressing changes. Interviews with two nurses confirmed that standard practice and the electronic TAR template called for documenting wound description, including appearance, drainage, odor, and whether the wound had improved or worsened, with each dressing change. The DON also stated that nursing staff should have been documenting the appearance and specific characteristics of the wounds with each dressing change and identified that when nursing staff modified the wound care order in the electronic medical record, the supplemental documentation prompts were mistakenly removed, contributing to the lack of required wound documentation.
Failure to Manage and Document Pain for Resident With Pressure Injury
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide adequate pain management for a resident admitted with an unstageable sacral pressure injury and multiple pain-related diagnoses, including chronic kidney disease and polyosteoarthritis. The facility’s pain policy required staff to identify signs and symptoms of pain, consider cognitive and behavioral indicators, and anticipate pain related to conditions such as pressure ulcers and interventions such as wound care, ambulation, and repositioning. The resident’s MDS showed moderate cognitive impairment, and the resident had PRN acetaminophen orders for pain, as well as a recently discontinued scheduled methocarbamol due to lethargy. Physical therapy documentation over several days showed the resident repeatedly reporting and exhibiting pain that interfered with participation in therapy. On multiple PT treatment dates, the resident declined to get out of bed, reported being “too sore,” and rated pain levels between 5/10 and 7/10, describing pain in the lower back, bilateral hips, and “all over,” with behaviors such as agitation, tension, and avoidance of touch. PT notes indicated the resident was premedicated prior to some sessions and that nursing was aware of the pain, yet the Medication Administration Record for the same period showed no documentation that any analgesics were administered from 02/06/26 through 02/12/26. Interviews with staff further demonstrated a lack of effective pain management and communication. The PTA stated she reported the resident’s pain to nursing and believed the resident was given Tylenol, and she documented that the resident was premedicated on one date because she thought it had occurred. The Nursing Supervisor reported that if therapy staff informed him of pain, he would assess and medicate, but he could not recall giving pain medication and none was documented on the MAR. The Nurse Practitioner, who noted increased tenderness at the sacral ulcer and the resident’s refusal to get out of bed due to bilateral hip pain, was unaware that the resident had been reporting pain during several PT visits and that nursing had not administered Tylenol. The DON acknowledged that departments should communicate about pain and that such communication should be documented, but there was no documentation of follow-through when the resident displayed ongoing verbal and non-verbal indicators of pain.
Inaccurate Wound Documentation and Missing Repositioning Records
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain an accurate and complete medical record for a resident with pressure injuries, specifically regarding wound location and repositioning frequency. The resident, admitted with diagnoses including chronic kidney disease, polyosteoarthritis, and an unstageable pressure injury of the sacral region, was documented on the nursing admission assessment as having an unstageable pressure injury on the right buttock and an unstaged pressure injury on the left buttock. A subsequent wound NP assessment identified a single unstageable wound on the sacrum, but the Treatment Administration Record for the following month continued to show nursing staff signing off wound care for unstageable pressure injuries on the right and left buttocks. In interviews, a nurse described the wounds as being on the coccyx or buttocks area, and the DON acknowledged that nursing documentation listed the wounds on the right and left buttocks despite the NP’s identification of the sacrum as the anatomical site. The facility also failed to ensure documentation of the recommended repositioning frequency for the same resident. The wound NP’s progress notes included recommendations to offload pressure and reposition the resident every two hours, and later emphasized strict adherence to pressure injury prevention protocols, including frequent repositioning. However, review of CNA flow sheets for the months in question showed no documentation supporting that the resident was repositioned every two hours as recommended. A CNA reported that the resident required assistance with repositioning and that staff were supposed to document repositioning on the flow sheet. The DON stated that the option to document every two-hour repositioning was not automatically appearing on the CNA flow sheets and had been missed for this resident.
Choking Incident Due to Failure to Provide Ordered Ground Diet and Verify Meal Tray Accuracy
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure a resident with dysphagia remained as free from accident hazards as possible when the resident was served a meal inconsistent with ordered diet texture, resulting in a choking episode that required staff intervention. The resident had diagnoses including dysphagia, parkinsonism, dysarthria, cerebral infarction, hyperlipidemia, and anxiety, and was assessed as moderately cognitively impaired with a BIMS score of 12. Physician’s orders and the lunch meal ticket for the resident specified a house diet with ground texture and nectar thick liquids. Despite these orders, the facility’s lunch menu for the day included chicken parmesan, spaghetti noodles, cauliflower, and a garlic bread knot, and the resident was served chicken that was cut into pieces rather than ground. At approximately 12:15 p.m., while the resident was eating lunch in the secondary dining room/dayroom with another resident, another resident asked if the resident was choking. Nursing staff at the nearby nurses’ station (Nurse #1, Nurse #2, and Nurse #3) heard this and observed the resident performing the universal choking sign. Nurse #3 immediately entered the room, confirmed by nod that the resident was choking, and performed the Heimlich maneuver, expelling a piece of chicken from the resident’s mouth. After the intervention, the resident was able to breathe, speak in full sentences, and was assessed with normal breathing, warm, dry, pink skin, and stable vital signs. Subsequent review by nursing staff and facility leadership determined that the resident’s lunch tray did not match the ordered ground diet texture. Nurse #3 reported that upon checking the diet order after the incident, she found the resident had an order for a ground diet but had been given a regular texture diet, with chicken cut into pieces rather than ground. Nurse #1 confirmed that the resident had an order for a ground diet and that the chicken on the plate was cut up, not ground. Nurse #1 and Nurse #2 both acknowledged that nurses were responsible for checking all residents’ meal trays against their meal tickets to ensure correct diet texture, but each stated they had not checked this resident’s tray or any other residents’ trays that day. The former Administrator and the DON both stated that nurses were supposed to check all meal trays for accuracy prior to being served, and it was also identified that the Dietary Department had sent the wrong diet texture for the resident’s meal, resulting in the resident being served an incorrect meal texture that contributed to the choking incident. Additional staff interviews further described the breakdown in the tray-checking process. CNA #1, who helped pass lunch trays, could not recall whether nurses had checked the trays before they were passed. CNA #2, who was behind on morning care when the food trucks arrived, reported helping pass trays and stated that when she asked CNA #1 and CNA #3 if the nurses had checked the trays, both CNAs said yes. The former Administrator’s investigation concluded that the nurses on the unit had not checked the resident’s tray or any other trays at lunch prior to service, and he could not determine which staff member actually handed the tray to the resident. The DON stated that the Dietary Department had sent the wrong diet texture and that nursing staff had not checked the tray against the meal ticket before the meal was served, contrary to facility expectations and policy that require food and nutrition services staff and nursing staff to ensure that each resident receives the correct meal according to their diet orders.
Incorrect Diet Texture Served to Dysphagic Resident Resulting in Choking Episode
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that a resident with dysphagia received food prepared in the correct texture as ordered by the physician. The resident had diagnoses including dysphagia, parkinsonism, dysarthria, cerebral infarction, hyperlipidemia, and anxiety, and had a physician’s order for a house diet with ground texture and nectar-thick liquids. On the date of the incident, the lunch menu included chicken parmesan with spaghetti noodles, cauliflower, and a garlic bread knot. The resident’s lunch meal ticket correctly reflected a house diet with ground texture and nectar-thick liquids, but the meal actually prepared and served to the resident was a regular texture diet, including a whole piece of chicken that had not been ground. According to interviews, the facility’s process required a dietary aide to call out each resident’s diet order, restrictions, allergies, and preferences from the meal ticket to the cook, who then prepared the plate and handed it back to the dietary aide. The dietary aide was responsible for double-checking that the meal on the plate matched the resident’s meal ticket before covering the plate and placing it on the tray. On the day in question, the dietary aide assigned to the food truck stated that the lunch meal was chicken parmesan with spaghetti noodles and acknowledged that the resident was on a ground diet. He reported that he must have read the wrong resident’s diet order for a regular diet to the cook and then placed the regular diet plate on this resident’s tray without checking the plate against the meal ticket as required. Nursing staff were also responsible for checking residents’ meal trays against the meal tickets before meals were passed. On the day of the incident, a nurse sitting at the nurses’ station near the dining room heard another resident ask if the affected resident was choking. The nurse observed the resident performing the universal choking sign, confirmed the resident was choking, and performed the Heimlich maneuver, after which a piece of chicken was expelled from the resident’s mouth. The nurse then checked the resident’s diet order and discovered that the resident had an order for a ground diet but had been given a regular texture diet. The facility’s own report through the Health Care Facility Reporting System documented that the lunch meal was not prepared according to the resident’s diet, that nursing staff had not checked the meal tray for accuracy against the meal ticket, and that the resident was served the incorrect meal texture.
Failure to Obtain Nursing Assessment After Resident Lowered to Floor
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that a dependent resident received care and treatment consistent with professional standards and the facility’s fall assessment policy after being lowered to the floor in the bathroom. The resident, admitted with diagnoses including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a left femur fracture, and a pelvic fracture, was cognitively intact and dependent on staff for care. On the date of the incident, the resident reported standing in the bathroom holding a grab bar while a CNA provided care, then telling the CNA that the resident’s knee was giving out and that they could not continue standing. The resident stated the CNA told them to hold on, but because the resident could not stand any longer, the CNA had to lower the resident to the floor, after which the resident cried due to right knee pain. According to the incident report and staff interviews, CNA #1 confirmed lowering the resident to the floor, then independently lifting the resident, placing them in a wheelchair, and transferring them back to bed before notifying any nurse. The facility’s policy on assessing falls requires that when a resident has fallen or is found on the floor, staff must evaluate for possible injuries to the head, neck, spine, and extremities before moving the resident. Multiple nurses and the nursing supervisor reported that CNA #1 did not inform them of the resident being lowered to the floor until after the resident had been moved back to bed, and some were only told about a skin tear sustained during a transfer, not that the resident had been on the floor. The DON and nursing supervisor both stated that being lowered to the floor is considered a fall and that a nurse should have assessed the resident for potential injury before the resident was moved, which did not occur in this case.
Failure to Timely Report Resident-to-Resident Sexual Abuse Allegation and Maintain Current Abuse Policy
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure timely internal and external reporting of an allegation of resident-to-resident sexual abuse, and failure to maintain an abuse policy aligned with current reporting requirements. The facility’s written policy, dated June 2022, stated that any complaint, observation, or suspicion of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or misappropriation of resident property would be reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Health Care Quality and other appropriate agencies in accordance with state and federal law. The policy further indicated that the Unit Manager/Supervisor would notify the DON and Administrator within two hours after an allegation if there was abuse or bodily harm, and that the Administrator and DON would be notified immediately based on CMS and State time frames, with a report to the Department of Public Health within 24 hours if abuse was suspected or confirmed. However, the Administrator later acknowledged that the policy had not been fully updated to accurately reflect current requirements that allegations of abuse be reported immediately to administration and to the State Agency within two hours. The incident involved two severely cognitively impaired residents. Resident #2 had diagnoses including dementia, aphasia, conversion disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, with an MDS showing he/she rarely/never made him/herself understood or understood others and had severely impaired cognitive skills for daily decision making. Resident #2’s care plan indicated wandering behavior with potential intrusion on others’ privacy, with interventions to distract with pleasant diversions and structured activities. Resident #3 had vascular dementia, with an MDS indicating he/she usually made him/herself understood and usually understood others, but had severely impaired cognitive patterns, and a care plan noting impaired cognitive function or thought processes due to dementia, with interventions to cue, reorient, and supervise as needed. On the evening in question, CNA #2 observed Resident #2, known to wander, in the dining room and later found Resident #2 in Resident #3’s room, seated on Resident #3’s bed, although Resident #2 did not reside there. CNA #2 entered and saw Resident #3 lying in bed with no clothing covering the genital area, while Resident #2 was touching Resident #3’s genital area with one hand; one of Resident #3’s hands was over Resident #2’s hand and the other was touching Resident #2’s chest under the shirt. CNA #2 removed Resident #2 from the room and immediately reported the incident to Nurse #1. Nurse #1 stated she reported the incident to the ADON (who did not recall being informed) and texted the DON sometime after 11:00 P.M., approximately four hours after the incident, acknowledging she should have called immediately but was distracted by other tasks. The DON did not see the text until about 5:00 A.M. the following morning, nearly 11 hours after the incident, and the Administrator was not notified until around 8:00 A.M., almost 14 hours after the incident. The facility’s report to the State Agency via the Health Care Facility Reporting System was created the following afternoon, and the Administrator later stated that allegations of abuse were expected to be reported immediately to administration and to the State Agency within two hours, which was not reflected in the written policy or in the staff’s actions.
Failure to Timely Report Resident-to-Resident Sexual Abuse Allegation
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that staff immediately reported an allegation of resident-to-resident sexual abuse to administrative staff so it could be reported to the State Survey Agency within the required two-hour timeframe. Facility policy dated June 2022 required that any complaint, observation, or suspicion of resident abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or misappropriation of resident property be reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Health Care Quality, and other appropriate agencies in accordance with state and federal law. On the evening of 03/04/26, CNA #2 observed Resident #2, who did not reside in Resident #3’s room, seated on Resident #3’s bed while Resident #3 lay in bed with no clothing covering the genital area. CNA #2 saw Resident #2 touching Resident #3’s genital area with one hand, while Resident #3’s hand covered Resident #2’s hand and the other hand touched Resident #2’s chest under the shirt. CNA #2 immediately removed Resident #2 from the room and reported the incident to Nurse #1. Resident #2 had diagnoses including dementia, aphasia, conversion disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and an annual MDS dated 02/25/26 showed severely impaired cognitive skills and that the resident rarely or never made self understood or understood others. Resident #3 had vascular dementia, and a quarterly MDS dated 02/17/26 indicated severely impaired cognitive patterns despite usually being able to make self understood and understand others. After CNA #2’s report, Nurse #1 acknowledged that around 6:15 P.M. on 03/04/26 she was informed of the residents’ sexual activity and stated she contacted the ADON by telephone or email and later texted the DON sometime after 11:00 P.M., approximately four hours after the incident. The ADON did not recall being informed, and the DON reported she did not become aware of the incident until seeing Nurse #1’s text at about 5:00 A.M. on 03/05/26, nearly 11 hours after the event, at which time she notified the Administrator. The Administrator stated he first learned of the allegation when the DON texted him the morning of 03/05/26 as he arrived at 8:00 A.M., and confirmed the incident was not reported to the State Agency within two hours, with the Health Care Facility Reporting System submission created on 03/05/26 at 1:29 P.M., more than 18 hours after the alleged incident occurred.
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