CRITICAL
(K)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) - the most serious Medicare violation
Free from Abuse/Neglect
(Tag F0600)
Someone could have died · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observations, interviews and record reviews, the facility failed to ensure the resident has the right to be free from n...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observations, interviews and record reviews, the facility failed to ensure the resident has the right to be free from neglect for one (Resident #2) of ten residents reviewed for neglect.
The facility failed to ensure Resident #2 did not elope from the facility. The facility staff did not notice the resident was missing from Saturday, 08/19/23 at approximately 7:40 PM to the following Sunday, 08/20/23 around noon. The resident was located around 6:00 pm 12 miles away from the facility after police became involved and a Silver Alert had been issued.
An Immediate Jeopardy was identified on 08/22/23. The IJ Template was provided to the facility on [DATE] at 5:03 PM. While the Immediate Jeopardy was removed on 08/24/23, the facility remained out of compliance at the severity level of potential for more than minimal harm that is not immediate jeopardy and at a scope of pattern due to the facility's need to implement and monitor the effectiveness of its corrective systems.
This failure could affect residents and place them at risk of further abuse/neglect with exit-seeking behaviors by placing them at risk for injury and/or death from elopement-related harm, including vehicular accidents, falls, missing medications, and extreme heat exposure.
Findings included:
Review of Resident #2's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE], reflected he was a [AGE] year old male admitted to the facility on [DATE]. His active diagnoses included stroke (occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts), vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain. Vascular dementia can develop after a stroke blocks an artery in your brain), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and cognitive communication deficit (difficulty with thinking and how someone uses language). Resident #2 had no hearing, speech or vision issues, and his BIMS score was 08, which indicated he was moderately impaired cognitively. Resident #2 had no symptoms of delirium, no negative mood issues, no potential indicators of psychosis, no behavioral symptoms, no rejection of care and no wandering behaviors. Resident #2 required one- person physical assistance for all ADLs, with the exception of eating, which he only required supervision. Resident #2 required one-person physical assistance for transfers, bed mobility, walking in his room and in the facility per the MDS assessment. Resident #2 was not steady in his balance during transitions and walking, but able to stabilize without staff assistance. He did not have any range of motion impairments and did not use any mobility devices. Resident #2 was frequently incontinent of bowel and bladder. He required a mechanically altered diet and was administered antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Resident #2 did not have an alarm, which included any physical or electronic device that monitored his movement and alerted the staff when movement was detected, such as a wander guard.
Review of Resident #2's care plan dated 03/17/23 and last revised 08/21/23 reflected the following:
- Date initiated 03/17/23: The resident has Dx of Vascular Dementia unspecified severity without behavioral disturbance. Resident is taking Aricept; Interventions: Cue, orient and supervise as needed.
- Date Initiated: 06/11/2023- Resident removed wander guard (not found in room); Interventions: Encourage resident to participate in activities of choice, Notify MD of increase wandering behavior if needed.
- Date initiated: 07/20/23- Wander guard removed related to no exit seeking; Interventions: Educate Resident / Representative on the necessity of care attempted to provide, Ensure the safety of Resident and others.
-Date initiated: 08/21/23- Resident elopement from facility 8/19/23; returned 8/20/23. Resident will remain 1:1 until alternate placement is found; Interventions: Assess resident's coping skills and support system, Assess resident's understanding of the situation. Allow time for the resident to express self and feelings towards the situation.
Review of Resident #2's Elopement Evaluation at his time of admission dated 03/17/23 reflected he had no prior history of elopement at home no wandering behavior that was a pattern or goal-directed, no wandering that was likely to affect the safety or well-being of self/others and his elopement score was a 0 (zero). As a result, no interventions were checked on the assessment as being needed to prevent elopement. No other elopement evaluations were completed until after Resident #2's elopement incident on 08/19/23.
Review of Resident #2's nursing progress notes for 08/19/23 and 08/20/23 did not reflect he was missing or eloped from the facility. The only nursing notes for those dates reflected, 08/20/2023-Nursing: MD notified that resident was found [signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Called MD and notified him that family, responsible party was in facility with resident at this time and requests that he has his night medications at this time. MD gave N/O to give meds now. [signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: [hospital] notified that resident was found [Signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Resident returns to the building with family at bedside. Head to toe assessment and VS done. VS: BP 130/92, 02 96% RA, HR 96, RR 17, and no c/o pain. No injuries or tears noted to skin. Dry scaly heels bilaterally. Resident is calm, friendly and engaging in conversation; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Resident currently resting in bed. He is on 1 to 1 observation; 08/21/2023 Nursing: MD notified of the resident increased confusion and gave order to increase Donepezil HCl Oral Tablet to 10 MG at bedtime. MD also gave dx of Psychosis with Dementia for Seroquel. [RP] notified via VM.
Record review of the facility's incident report for Resident #2 dated 08/20/23 at 12:10 PM and completed by ADON I reflected, Incident description: Resident noted to be missing from room at approximately 12pm. Search conducted at facility. Admin notified ASAP. Approximately 6pm police notified facility that resident was found. Immediate Action Taken: Facility was searched and administration, responsible party, physician, DON, and [hospital] notified. Police department notified. MD notified of missed medications, no new orders given. Upon return to facility, head to toe assessment and pain assessment done. Resident placed on one on one care, sitter at bedside.
Review of Resident #2's August 2023 physician orders reflected they were ordered by MD D. Resident #2 had two discontinued orders that reflected, Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift [Verbal Discontinued 03/17/2023], and Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift [Verbal Discontinued 07/14/2023].
Review of Resident #2's August 2023 MAR reflected he missed the following prescribed medications during the time he was missing from the facility on 08/20/23 were Aspirin Oral Capsule 81 MG (blood thinner), Calcium-Vitamin D Oral Tablet 500 MG Protein Oral Liquid 30 ml (supplement).
An interview with MD D on 08/23/23 at 1:00 PM revealed he did not know Resident #2 was on his caseload until the incident with the elopement. He stated he did not know he was missing for over 18 hours and only got notified when he was located .
Review of website: https://www.accuweather.com (retrieved 08/22/23) revealed the temperature high for the location Resident #2 was found on 08/20/23 was 109 degrees fahrenheit.
An interview with Resident #2's RP on 08/22/23 at 6:30 AM revealed when Resident #1 was located by the Police, she went to see him and transport him back to the facility. The RP stated she observed Resident #1 to be extremely confused and scared. He was covered from head to toe in dirt and had a trash bag full of garbage one would find in a dumpster. The RP stated she was a RN and was able to assess her father and noted that he had 4+pitting edema.
An interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 9:40 AM revealed he was notified on 08/20/23 at approximately 1:00 PM that Resident #2 was missing by ADON I. He asked her what happened and she said staff had just searched the entire facility to verify Resident #2 was not there, so the ADM drove to the facility and on his way called the local police department and filed a report. The police arrived at the same time he arrived at the facility. Then the ADM started going through surveillance footage in the facility with police and while he was doing that, DA M came to his office and said she thought she may have known what happened. DA M told him on her way out the door the evening before on Saturday, 08/19/23, at approximately 7:38 PM, someone had slipped out the front door behind her and she thought it was a family member of a resident; she didn't recognize the person. The ADM said he went to that part of the surveillance footage and sure enough, it was [Resident #2] that went outside, walked out. In her defense, it was very smooth, he has dementia but you wouldn't know that, you would have to have a conversation to determine that. The ADM stated there would not have been a front desk staff at 7:40 PM the evening of the incident. The ADM stated he then checked the outside surveillance footage and was able to see Resident #2 coming around the side of the building walking down the sidewalk to the left of the facility. He stated, At that point, by the time I found that footage, the police had already started the process for a silver alert and approx. 30 minutes later, I got a call from a sergeant saying he had been found in a hotel lobby in [city name]. The ADM stated the police notified the family who were on their way to pick Resident #2 up. He stated the family had been notified around 1:00 PM that afternoon that Resident #2 was missing and he was found around 6:00 PM. The ADM stated he was told Resident #2 was found with a trash bag and a water bottle, a banana and a couple rachet straps and surmised the resident may have gotten a ride due to the distance. He was brought back to the facility, placed on 1:1 supervision and had been on 1:1 since then. The ADM stated, So this was the confusion, I had a couple of statements from staff saying he was identified later that night of when he eloped around 11:00 PM asking for snacks at the nurses station. Number one, it is very common for him to not be in his room, he has no history of exit seeking, just walking around the facility. The ADM stated Resident #2 would not have known how to get back into the facility if he was locked outside and confirmed the front exit door locked after the door closed. The ADM further stated Resident #2 was not wearing a wander guard anymore because he was a low-elopement risk and just walked around the facility and had dementia. The ADM stated he ordered a tamper-resistant wander guard bracelet, but did not have any evidence of it, and he stated Resident #2 kept removing it. The ADM stated Resident #2 had cut through four to five wander guards off his wrists, even though he had no evidence of it, did not know when the wander guards were attempted to be placed, was not present for the placement and no one ever saw the resident remove them. He stated he met with Resident #2's family in July 2023 and told them Resident #2 was not exit-seeking and was cutting the wander guard off, so we need it removed or if they want him to keep it on, he needed to move. He stated the resolution was to take it off his ankle and move it to his wrist by family request because the family told him Resident #2 had a criminal history with ankle monitors and having one on his leg may have triggered him. The ADM stated, We agreed to have it discontinued because he has never tried to elope before. The [family member] was okay with that and we were all on the same page. It was in a way a perfect storm for this to happen. We had the wander guard removed because of no exit seeking and he doesn't come across as having dementia and looks like a family member. The ADM stated once Resident #2 was located post-elopement and brought back to the facility, he did not interview him. He stated, I want to say someone from our nursing staff talked to him. The ADM admitted the overnight staff working 08/19/23 into 08/20/23 did not round on Resident #1. He said he was still conducting his facility investigation, but from what he could tell thus far, he had been told CNA X rounded on Resident #2 at midnight but then later said maybe she got the resident rooms mixed up. The ADM stated, He does not like to be bothered at night and gets agitated, so that was why he had less rounds. If he doesn't require incontinent care, then it would be opening his door to make sure he was there as rounding. He does not have a roommate. It could be done quietly and that was my conversation with them yesterday when we started the in-service. The ADM stated the elopement incident could have been prevented by staff ensuring when they left the facility exits, to make sure there were no residents trying to leave and if they were unsure who a resident was, to stop and ask them. The ADM stated, This goes back to us not being equipped to care for his needs. He is not the type of resident appropriate for this care, but we would not have known that. A wander guard would have solved this problem. He removed four or five wander guards.
An observation of the facility video footage dated 08/19/23 at approximately 7:38 PM showed Resident #2 walking down the hallway casually towards the front lobby. DA M was also observed coming down a different hallway to the front entrance. No other staff, family members or residents were observed. DA M went to the keyed alarm panel to the left side of the front door and while she was putting in the code, Resident #2 walked towards her and was standing behind her. When she opened the door, she held it open for him and he walked out through the door after her. Then there was a second sliding door that automatically opened without a code and they both proceeded out of that door together out into the parking lot.
An interview with DA M on 08/22/23 at 10:12 AM revealed she did not interact much with residents and 95% of the time she was in the kitchen and at other times, she was delivering meal carts to CNAs or nurses. She said she did not know who Resident #2 was and could not recall seeing him before. DA M stated, When I let him out, I saw him standing the door, I had my head down and was ready to head out, I typed in the code and he followed right behind me, he said thank you so much, clear as day, and I thought he was family member. I didn't think much of it. DA M stated she had not been informed by the facility who were potential exit-seekers or what to do if she saw one of those residents attempting to elope. She stated, 'I didn't think I would be in a situation where I would be dealing one-on-one with a resident. I had not been informed on what to do if one wanted to leave. If I had seen him around and knew him, I would have grabbed a CNA or nurse and told them he was trying to leave, but it was the end of my shift, I clocked out and wasn't thinking much of it, I thought he was a visitor of a resident here. I walked out and my mom who was in a car picking me up, said she had seen a man walk out behind me but didn't think much of it. He spoke clear as day and said thank you very much, he was dressed in casual clothing, I glimpsed at him. DA M stated when she came to work Sunday 08/20/23, the kitchen staff were telling her about a resident who had eloped the day before and it was then she realized through their description of him, that it might be the man she let out the day before. DA M said she ran to the ADM's office and police were there and she told them what had happened the night before and they were able to then pull it up on surveillance camera and verify Resident #2 went out the door behind her around 7:38 PM.
An interview with ADON I on 08/22/23 at 10:41AM revealed she was at the facility on 08/19/23 until 5:00 PM and was at the facility on 08/20/23 from 6:00 AM until 11:00PM. ADON I stated when she came into work on 08/20/23, no one mentioned Resident #2 was missing. She said the CNA that worked with him [CNA B], went to pick up is breakfast tray around 12:10 PM and it had not been eaten and she then asked ADON I if she had seen him around. ADON I said the CNA B would have delivered the breakfast tray around 7:45AM-8:30AM. ADON I stated they immediately checked all the resident rooms and bathroom, his friends' rooms and he was not present. Then someone drove the perimeter outside, down to the nearby shopping strip and did not see him. Then ADON I called the family and asked them if Resident #2 was with them and they said no. At that point ADON I stated she called the DON, called ADM and called the staff who worked the night shift before. She said there was an agency nurse [LVN P] who said she remembered checking on Resident #2 during her overnight shift. ADON I also stated she called the overnight CNA, who also remembered checking on Resident #2 during the overnight shift. Once ADON I was informed by the ADM that Resident #2 was seen through video surveillance leaving the facility on 08/19/23 at approximately 7:40 PM, she stated, That made me question staff that told me they had seen him that night. ADON I said by the time Resident #2 was found and returned to the facility, he had missed three shifts of medications over two days. ADON I stated Resident #2 did not have a wander guard on because he kept cutting them off and the facility had been through about 10 or 12 of them. She said Resident #2 had never tried to exit-seek before, I have never even heard him ask, he is usually very pleasant and interactive. She stated, When we have done a wander guard in past, it was on his ankle. We have never tried one on his wrist that I can remember, don't know if it was tried. ADON I stated, Plan now for him is he has been so far one on one and I think they are going to place him in a more secured facility. That I can't say for sure. ADON I stated there were photos in a binder of the residents who exit-seeked and that binder was at each nurses station and the front desk. She said Resident #2 was not in the binder. ADON I stated most of the staff understand that during the day, the front desk receptionist let people out through the front door with a code, but staff would also let them in and out too but most of them knew who the residents were and who was not supposed to leave. She said if a staff member was not sure if a person was a resident, they should not let them out and check with the charge nurses or other direct care staff. ADON I stated LVN N was the weekend supervisor who worked until 10:00 PM on 08/19/23.
An interview with LVN N on 08/22/23 at 11:09 AM revealed he was the weekend supervisor on 08/19/23 and he left the facility around 11:00 PM and was off work on 08/20/23. He said he got a call from one of the ADONs on 08/20/23 and she told him Resident #2 was missing and they were in the process of looking for him. He remembered seeing Resident #2 on 08/19/23 around 3:45 PM in the hallway, He normally comes out and stands in the hallway then comes back to his room. As far as I know, he hasn't tried to get out of the door before.
A follow up interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 12:16 PM revealed he did not have a policy for wander guards. The ADM stated, I do want to touch on and I am not saying everything was handled perfectly . As soon as we noticed he [Resident #1] was not here, all were parties notified. We had police at the facility in and out about 30 minutes, camera reviewed, silver alert approved and issued by the state within 2 ½ hours and he was found unharmed about 30 minutes after that was issued. At the end of the day, when it comes to our elopement procedure, we followed all the necessary steps and we found him. The ADM said he QAPI'ed the incident and also terminated the DON on 08/21/23 for a number of reasons.
An interview with MA O on 08/22/23 at 12:52 PM revealed he was working a double shift on 08/19/23 from 6:00AM to 10:00 PM, but not on Resident #2's hall. He stated the nurse for Resident #2 on the 2-10PM shift was LVN Q. MA O stated he knew who Resident #2 was and that he had eloped from the facility and he usually had a wander guard on him. He remembered seeing Resident #2 on his 08/19/23 shift because he normally came to the nurses' station for snacks and MA O remembered him coming to get one after dinner on 08/19/23, but there were no snacks left because they had all been passed out already. He stated Resident #2 was okay with it and not upset. MA O stated Resident #2 usually went to bed and would come out during the evening around 8-9PM most nights. The next morning, 08/20/23, MA O stated he worked Resident #2's hall from 6AM-2PM and was told by CNA B around lunch time that she had not seen him and could not find him. They began looking in each residents' room and around the hall, and then some staff went outside to look for him and that was when everyone realized he was missing and the police and family were notified.
An interview with LVN P on 08/22/23 at 1:06 PM revealed she was the agency nurse who worked the overnight shift on Resident #2's hall on 08/19/23 into 08/20/23 and it was her first time working at the facility. She stated that night she was the charge nurse for four halls. She stated she came into the facility to work around 10:00 PM and left around 6:45 AM the next morning. When she arrived at her shift that night, LVN P stated, When I got there, I can't really say I was oriented, but I did make rounds while the 2-10 nurse was finishing up stuff. LVN P stated no one told her who was exit-seeking on her halls or who wore a wander guard. She stated she rounded on her own with no one else. LVN P stated she had rooms 507-510 (where Resident #2 resided) and she opened up each door when she started her shift to make sure there was a body in each bed. LVN P stated she remembered seeing a body in each bed; she did not go into the rooms and touch the residents but when she opened each door, she saw a body and assumed each resident was asleep . She stated she did not turn the lights on. Around 11:30 PM, the off-going nurse came back around and gave LVN P a report and then LVN P took over from there. LVN P stated she did not know who the residents were and a nurse named [LVN N] gave her a login to chart in the residents' e-chart. LVN P could not remember if she gave Resident #2 any medications or treatments during that overnight shift because there were two residents in the facility with the same last name, Resident #2 and Resident #7. She stated, So I don't remember which one I saw. I think one was on 500 and one on 700, I could be mistaken. After she left the next morning, she got a call from the facility around 12:30 PM on 08/20/23, asking questions about Resident #2.
Review of Resident #2's clinical chart revealed no documentation in his care plan or progress notes that he did not want to be disturbed at night.
An interview with CNA B on 08/22/23 at 1:20 PM revealed she was Resident #2's CNA on the 6AM-2PM shift 08/20/23 and got to the facility around 6:15 AM. She said she clocked in, looked at the assignment sheet, made sure her linens were stocked and all the CNAs were present and started to get the heavy-care residents up, which was not Resident #2. CNA B did not remember who the nurse was on her hall that shift. She said Resident #2 liked to walk around, so when she did not see him in his room that morning, she initially did not think anything of it. She put his breakfast tray in his room because she thought he was visiting with another resident at that time. CNA B then proceeded to get some more residents up for the day and fed a resident, then at some point went to pick up Resident #2's breakfast tray and he still was not in his room and his food had not been eaten. She said she did not panic but tried to look for him and around 9:45 AM and checked one of his friend's rooms but he was not there. CNA B stated, I figured he would pop back up. I went to dress another resident. He wasn't in his doorway asking me for a penny like he normally does and I am thinking that is not like him. I thought maybe he went out with the [family member]. At that time, CNA B said she looked at the piano in the dining room because he played sometimes, but nothing, I am thinking he will pop back up. I got up another resident then went back, not there. CNA B said she asked ADON I if she had seen him and they checked the sign out sheet. CNA B stated there was sign out for Resident #7, but not Resident #2, they both had the same last name. She asked the front desk receptionist what time Resident #7 left and she had it mixed up with Resident #2, so she asked another staff member when did Resident #2 leave, to which she was told he did not leave, he was in his room. CNA B stated, I started to panic and told [ADON I] and she and I started looking for him, did a wide search everywhere in the facility, looked outside, drove around McDonalds, grocery store, the neighborhood. Everyone in all departments looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. We just kept looking and then [ADON I] made calls. CNA B stated she was present when Resident #2 was found and brought back to the facility, it was after dinner on 08/20/23. She said she gave him his dinner tray and he looked normal but a little upset because there was a staff doing 1:1 with him and he was asking why they were in his room. CNA B stated Resident #2 did not have any recollection of what happened. CNA B stated she had never seen Resident #2 wear a wander guard when she worked with him prior to the elopement incident and he was not someone who she ever witnessed wanting to leave the facility. CNA B stated since he had been placed on 1:1, he was kind of quiet and reserved, like in a shell. He just keeps saying he doesn't want to leave this place.
An interview with LVN Q on 08/22/23 at 1:41 PM revealed she worked a double shift 08/19/23 from 6AM-10PM and was the charge nurse for 500, 600, and 700 halls and was relieved by the agency nurse [LVN P]. LVN Q stated she saw Resident #2 on her shifts and the last time she saw him was around 6-7 PM when she was at the nurses station and he was walking from one nurses' station to the other one. She stated she did not pass medications for him on her shift, MA R did, but MA R never came and told her that she could not locate Resident #2 for 9PM med pass. LVN Q was not aware MA R was giving Resident #2 his medications early by MA R. LVN Q stated she did not round with the oncoming nurse for the overnight shift [LVN P] and most times, when she rounded with a nurse, it would be to give report at the nurses' station, not go room to room. LVN Q stated Resident #2 wore a wander guard but he kept cutting it off. She said Resident #2 wore one because he wandered around the building but he had never tried to leave and she had never seen him take a wander guard off or found a wander guard in his room, it was just what she had heard. She did not know if the facility ever tried to place one on his wrist.
An interview and observation of Resident #2 on 08/23/23 at 10:50 AM revealed he was in his room with a staff member sitting on a chair in the corner of his room. Resident #2 was interviewed privately and he stated he did not like the staff member being in his room all the time and did not know why she was there and liked his privacy. Resident #2 was able to talk, but when asked about the elopement incident when he left the facility, he was surprised and said he did not leave. He could not recall being found by the police and being gone all night and day. Resident #2 said he liked living at the facility and they understood his kind of person. He said he liked to watch television and denied that he wanted to leave. He talked about loving God and being right with him. Resident #2's cognition did not remember the incident and had trouble with recall/memory .
An interview with MA R on 08/23/23 at 12:27 PM revealed she worked a double shift on 08/19/23 from 6AM-10PM and was in charge of passing medications for about 50 residents on four different halls. She said there was one other medication aide for the other halls in the building. MA R stated no one notified her that Resident #2 was missing and she remembered last seeing him around 4:00 PM between smoke break and dinner time because she saw him when dinner trays were coming out and a resident had made a comment about his cowboy that he was wearing. MA R stated she told Resident #2 hello as she was wheeling another resident down the hall, and she had just administered Resident #2 his medications a few minutes earlier. MA R said the way she was trained was to give Resident #2 his medications when he was in a good mood, even if it was outside of his medication pass time and order time frame, because he tended to attack people and she was told he had balled up his first once to a staff in the past. MA R stated Resident #2 was usually in a good mood right after he ate dinner, so that was when she gave him his medications on 08/19/23, which was around 4-5PM, not at 9:00 PM as she had documented on his MAR/TAR. She stated the next morning she was working (08/20/23), she had asked other staff where he was because she went to pass his morning medication and he was not in the room, which was not unusual because he walked around a lot. Someone told her that he was out on pass with his a family member, and I was like cool, I'll catch him when he gets back. Around noon, MA R stated she walked past one of the aides who asked her where he was and MA R told her he had gone out on pass. They both looked in the sign out book and realized it was the other resident with the same last name who left [Resident #7], not Resident #2. MA R stated, I guess that was the confusion on where he was. She said once staff realized that it was a mistake, they started looking around, informed the nurses and then that was when phone calls started to be made and the police got involved. MA R stated in hindsight, knowing there were two residents with the same last name, she thought the facility should have made sure it was the correct person who signed out on pass. MA R stated, I feel like someone had to have gone in the room and noticed he was missing because two shifts went by. They say he left at 7:30 Saturday night, so the nurse rounding should have noticed, any of us should have noticed that he was gone but then again, it was not unlike him to not be in his room, but no one could pinpoint when they last saw him. I do think that if people had been rounding and laying eyes on him, we probably would have caught on to it earlier. MA R stated she made a comment to a police officer that even if Resident #2 had the code to get out of the facility, he would not know how to come back in because it the entry code to come in was different. MA R stated the shift on 08/20/23 she worked was crazy, no one initially knew what to do once they realized Resident #2 was missing, and it was frightening, like where did he go? MA R stated there were residents who looked completely normal, like they did not belong in the nursing home and god forbid, something could have happened and this could have gone a lot worse. Interviews with nursing staff and medication aides from 08/22/23 through 08/24/23 that worked with Resident #2 did not indicate they had any issues with administering his medications to him at the times prescribed, except for MA R.
An interview with CNA X on 08/23/23 at 3:24 PM revealed she was the CNA assigned to Resident #2's hall on the overnight shift on 08/19/20 into 08/20/23 but was working a double shift that day. CNA X stated the facility was short-staffed that night and that was why she was [TRUNCATED]
CRITICAL
(K)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) - the most serious Medicare violation
Abuse Prevention Policies
(Tag F0607)
Someone could have died · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observations, interviews and record reviews, the facility failed to develop and implement written policies and procedur...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observations, interviews and record reviews, the facility failed to develop and implement written policies and procedures that prohibit and prevent neglect for one (Resident #2) of ten residents reviewed for neglect policies.
The facility failed to ensure their abuse and neglect policy was implemented for Resident #1 when he eloped from the facility. The facility staff did not notice the resident was missing from Saturday, 08/19/23 at approximately 7:40 PM to the following Sunday, 08/20/23 around noon. The resident was located around 6:00 pm 12 miles away from the facility after police became involved and a Silver Alert had been issued.
An Immediate Jeopardy was identified on 08/22/23. The IJ Template was provided to the facility on [DATE] at 5:03 PM. While the Immediate Jeopardy was removed on 08/24/23, the facility remained out of compliance at the severity level of potential for more than minimal harm that is not immediate jeopardy and at a scope of pattern due to the facility's need to implement and monitor the effectiveness of its corrective systems.
This failure could affect residents and place them at risk of further abuse/neglect due to policy not being developed/implemented.
Findings included:
Review of the facility's policy titled, Abuse and Neglect-Clinical Protocol, revised March 2018, reflected, .2. 'Neglect', as defined at 483.5, means 'the failure of the facility, its employees or service providers to provide good and services to a resident that are necessary to avoid physical harm, pain, mental anguish or emotional distress'; .Treatment/Management: 1. The facility management and staff will institute measures to address the needs of residents and minimize the possibility of abuse and neglect.
Review of Resident #2's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE], reflected he was a [AGE] year old male admitted to the facility on [DATE]. His active diagnoses included stroke (occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts), vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain. Vascular dementia can develop after a stroke blocks an artery in your brain), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and cognitive communication deficit (difficulty with thinking and how someone uses language). Resident #2 had no hearing, speech or vision issues, and his BIMS score was 08, which indicated he was moderately impaired cognitively. Resident #2 had no symptoms of delirium, no negative mood issues, no potential indicators of psychosis, no behavioral symptoms, no rejection of care and no wandering behaviors. Resident #2 required one-person physical assistance for all ADLs, with the exception of eating, which he only required supervision. Resident #2 required one-person physical assistance for transfers, bed mobility, walking in his room and in the facility per the MDS assessment. Resident #2 was not steady in his balance during transitions and walking, but able to stabilize without staff assistance. He did not have any range of motion impairments and did not use any mobility devices. Resident #2 was frequently incontinent of bowel and bladder. He required a mechanically altered diet and was administered antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Resident #2 did not have an alarm, which included any physical or electronic device that monitored his movement and alerted the staff when movement was detected, such as a wander guard.
Resident #2's care plan dated 03/17/23 and last revised 08/21/23 reflected the following:
- Date initiated 03/17/23: The resident has Dx of Vascular Dementia unspecified severity without behavioral disturbance. Resident is taking Aricept; Interventions: Cue, orient and supervise as needed.
- Date Initiated: 06/11/2023- Resident removed wander guard (not found in room); Interventions: Encourage resident to participate in activities of choice, Notify MD of increase wandering behavior if needed.
- Date initiated: 07/20/23- Wander guard removed related to no exit seeking; Interventions: Educate Resident / Representative on the necessity of care attempted to provide, Ensure the safety of Resident and others.
-Date initiated: 08/21/23- Resident elopement from facility 8/19/23; returned 8/20/23. Resident will remain 1:1 until alternate placement is found; Interventions: Assess resident's coping skills and support system, Assess resident's understanding of the situation. Allow time for the resident to express self and feelings towards the situation.
Review of Resident #2's Elopement Evaluation at his time of admission dated 03/17/23 reflected he had no prior history of elopement at home no wandering behavior that was a pattern or goal-directed, no wandering that was likely to affect the safety or well-being of self/others and his elopement score was a 0 (zero). As a result, no interventions were checked on the assessment as being needed to prevent elopement. No other elopement evaluations were completed until after Resident #2's elopement incident on 08/19/23.
Review of Resident #2's nursing progress notes for 08/19/23 and 08/20/23 did not reflect he was missing or eloped from the facility. The only nursing notes for those dates reflected, 08/20/2023-Nursing: MD notified that resident was found [signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Called MD and notified him that family, responsible party was in facility with resident at this time and requests that he has his night medications at this time. MD gave N/O to give meds now. [signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: VA notified that resident was found [Signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Resident returns to the building with family at bedside. Head to toe assessment and VS done. VS: BP 130/92, 02 96% RA, HR 96, RR 17, and no c/o pain. No injuries or tears noted to skin. Dry scaly heels bilaterally. Resident is calm, friendly and engaging in conversation; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Resident currently resting in bed. He is on 1 to 1 observation; 08/21/2023 Nursing: MD notified of the resident increased confusion and gave order to increase Donepezil HCl Oral Tablet to 10 MG at bedtime. MD also gave dx of Psychosis with Dementia for Seroquel. [RP] notified via VM.
Review of the facility's incident for Resident #2 dated 08/20/23 at 12:10 PM completed by ADON I reflected Incident description: Resident noted to be missing from room at approximately 12pm. Search conducted at facility. Admin notified ASAP. Approximately 6pm police notified facility that resident was found. Immediate Action Taken: Facility was searched and administration, responsible party, physician, DON, and VA notified. Police department notified. MD notified of missed medications, no new orders given. Upon return to facility, head to toe assessment and pain assessment done. Resident placed on one on one care, sitter at bedside.
Review of website: https://www.accuweather.com (retrieved 08/22/23) revealed the temperature high for the location Resident #2 was found on 08/20/23 was 109 degrees fahrenheit.
Review of Resident #2's August 2023 physician orders reflected they were ordered by MD D. Resident #2 had two discontinued orders that reflected, Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift [Verbal Discontinued 03/17/2023], and Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift [Verbal Discontinued 07/14/2023].
Review of Resident #2's August 2023 MAR reflected he missed the following prescribed medications during the time he was missing from the facility on 08/20/23 were Aspirin Oral Capsule 81 MG (blood thinner), Calcium-Vitamin D Oral Tablet 500 MG Protein Oral Liquid 30 ml (supplement).
An interview with Resident #2's RP on 08/22/23 at 6:30 AM revealed when Resident #1 was located by the Police, she went to see him and transport him back to the facility. The RP stated she observed Resident #1 to be extremely confused and scared. He was covered from head to toe in dirt and had a trash bag full of garbage one would find in a dumpster. The RP stated she was a RN and was able to assess her father and noted that he had 4+pitting edema.
An interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 9:40 AM revealed he was notified on 08/20/23 at approximately 1:00 PM that Resident #2 was missing by ADON I. He asked her what happened and she said staff had just searched the entire facility to verify Resident #2 was not there, so the ADM drove to the facility and on his way called the local police department and filed a report. The police arrived at the same time he arrived at the facility. Then the ADM started going through surveillance footage in the facility with police and while he was doing that, DA M came to his office and said she thought she may have known what happened. DA M told him on her way out the door the evening before on Saturday 08/19/23, at approximately 7:38 PM, someone had slipped out the front door behind her and she thought it was a family member of a resident; she didn't recognize the person. The ADM said he went to that part of the surveillance footage and sure enough, it was [Resident #2] that went outside, walked out. In her defense, it was very smooth, he has dementia but you wouldn't know that, you would have to have a conversation to determine that. The ADM stated there would not have been a front desk staff at 7:40 PM the evening of the incident. The ADM stated he then checked the outside surveillance footage and was able to see Resident #2 coming around the side of the building walking down the sidewalk to the left of the facility. He stated, At that point, by the time I found that footage, police had already started process for silver alert and approx. 30 minutes later, I got a call from sergeant saying he had been found in a hotel lobby in Grapevine. The ADM stated the police notified the family who were on their way to pick Resident #2 up. He stated the family had been notified around 1:00 PM that afternoon that Resident #2 was missing and he was found around 6:00 PM. The ADM stated he was told Resident #2 was found with a trash bag and a water bottle, a banana and a couple rachet straps and surmised the resident may have gotten a ride due to the distance. He was brought back to the facility, placed on 1:1 supervision and had been on 1:1 since then. The ADM stated, So this was the confusion, I had a couple of statements from staff saying he was identified later that night of when he eloped around 11:00 PM asking for snacks at the nurses station. Number one, it is very common for him to not be in his room, he has no history of exit seeking, just walking around the facility. The ADM stated Resident #2 would not have known how to get back into the facility if he was locked outside and confirmed the front exit door locked after the door closed. The ADM further stated Resident #2 was not wearing a wander guard anymore because he was a low-elopement risk and just walked around the facility and had dementia. The ADM stated he ordered a tamper-resistant wander guard bracelet, but did not have any evidence of it, and he stated Resident #2 kept removing it. The ADM stated Resident #2 had cut through four to five wander guards off his wrists, even though he had no evidence of it, did not know when the wander guards were attempted to be placed, was not present for the placement and no one ever saw the resident remove them. He stated he met with Resident #2's family in July 2023 and told them Resident #2 was not exit-seeking and was cutting the wander guard off, so we need it removed or if they want him to keep it on, he needed to move. He stated the resolution was to take it off his ankle and move it to his wrist by family request because the family told him Resident #2 had a criminal history with ankle monitors and having one on his leg may have triggered him. The ADM stated, We agreed to have it discontinued because he has never tried to elope before. The [family member] was okay with that and we were all on the same page. It was in a way a perfect storm for this to happen. We had the wander guard removed because of no exit seeking and he doesn't come across as having dementia and looks like a family member. The ADM stated once Resident #2 was located post-elopement and brought back to the facility, he did not interview him. He stated, I want to say someone from our nursing staff talked to him. The ADM admitted the overnight staff working 06/19/23 into 06/20/23 did not round on Resident #1. He said he was still conducting his facility investigation, but from what he could tell thus far, he had been told CNA X rounded on Resident #2 at midnight but then later said maybe she got the resident rooms mixed up. The ADM stated, He does not like to be bothered at night and gets agitated, so that was why he had less rounds. If he doesn't require incontinent care, then it would be opening his door to make sure he was there as rounding. He does not have a roommate. It could be done quietly and that was my conversation with them yesterday when we started the in-service. The ADM stated the elopement incident could have been prevented by staff ensuring when they left the facility exits, to make sure there were no residents trying to leave and if they were unsure who a resident was, to stop and ask them. The ADM stated, This goes back to us not being equipped to care for his needs. He is not the type of resident appropriate for this care, but we would not have known that. A wander guard would have solved this problem. He removed four or five wander guards.
An observation of the facility video footage dated 08/19/23 at approximately 7:38 PM showed Resident #2 walking down the hallway casually towards the front lobby. DA M was also observed coming down a different hallway to the front entrance. No other staff, family members or residents were observed. DA M went to the keyed alarm panel to the left side of the front door and while she was putting in the code, Resident #2 walked towards her and was standing behind her. When she opened the door, she held it open for him and he walked out through the door after her. Then there was a second sliding door that automatically opened without a code and they both proceeded out of that door together out into the parking lot.
An interview with DA M on 08/22/23 at 10:12 AM revealed she did not interact much with residents and 95% of the time she was in the kitchen and at other times, she was delivering meal carts to CNAs or nurses. She said she did not know who Resident #2 was and could not recall seeing him before. DA M stated, When I let him out, I saw him standing the door, I had my head down and ready to head out, I typed in code and he followed right behind me, he said thank you so much, clear as day, and I thought he was family member. I didn't think much of it. DA M stated she had not been informed by the facility who were potential exit-seekers or what to do if she saw one of those residents attempting to elope. She stated, 'I didn't think I would be in a situation where I would be dealing one-on-one with a resident. I had not been informed on what to do if one wanted to leave. If I had seen him around and knew him, I would have grabbed a CNA or nurse and told them he was trying to leave, but it was the end of my shift, I clocked out and wasn't thinking much of it, I thought he was a visitor of a resident here. I walked out and my mom who was in a car picking me up, said she had seen a man walk out behind me but didn't think much of it. He spoke clear as day and said thank you very much, he was dressed in casual clothing, I glimpsed at him. DA M stated when she came to work Sunday 08/20/23, the kitchen staff were telling her about a resident who had eloped the day before and it was then she realized through their description of him, that it might be the man she let out the day before. DA M said she ran to the ADM's office and police were there and she told them what had happened the night before and they were able to then pull it up on surveillance camera and verify Resident #2 went out the door behind her around 7:38 PM .
An interview with ADON I on 08/22/23 at 10:41AM revealed she was at the facility on 08/19/23 until 5:00 PM and was at the facility on 08/20/23 from 6:00 AM until 11:00PM. ADON I stated when she came into work on 08/20/23, no one mentioned Resident #2 was missing. She said the CNA that worked with him [CNA B], went to pick up is breakfast tray around 12:10 PM and it had not been eaten and she then asked ADON I if she had seen him around. ADON I said the CNA B would have delivered the breakfast tray around 7:45AM-8:30AM. ADON I stated they immediately checked all the resident rooms and bathroom, his friends' rooms and he was not present. Then someone drove the perimeter outside, down to the nearby shopping strip and did not see him. Then ADON I called the family and asked them if Resident #2 was with them and they said no. At that point ADON I stated she called the DON, called ADM and called the staff who worked the night shift before. She said there was an agency nurse [LVN P] who said she remembered checking on Resident #2 during her overnight shift. ADON I also stated she called the overnight CNA, who also remembered checking on Resident #2 during the overnight shift. Once ADON I was informed by the ADM that Resident #2 was seen through video surveillance leaving the facility on 08/19/23 at approximately 7:40 PM, she stated, That made me question staff that told me they had seen him that night. ADON I said by the time Resident #2 was found and returned to the facility, he had missed three shifts of medications over two days. ADON I stated Resident #2 did not have a wander guard on because he kept cutting them off and the facility had been through about 10 or 12 of them. She said Resident #2 had never tried to exit-seek before, I have never even heard him ask, he is usually very pleasant and interactive. She stated, When we have done a wander guard in past, it was on his ankle. We have never tried one on his wrist that I can remember, don't know if it was tried. ADON I stated, Plan now for him is he has been so far one on one and I think they are going to place him in a more secured facility. That I can't say for sure. ADON I stated there were photos in a binder of the residents who exit-seeked and that binder was at each nurses station and the front desk. She said Resident #2 was not in the binder. ADON I stated most of the staff understand that during the day, the front desk receptionist let people out through the front door with a code, but staff would also let them in and out too but most of them knew who the residents were and who was not supposed to leave. She said if a staff member was not sure if a person was a resident, they should not let them out and check with the charge nurses or other direct care staff. ADON I stated LVN N was the weekend supervisor who worked until 10:00 PM on 08/19/23.
A follow up interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 12:16 PM revealed he did not have a policy for wander guards. ADM stated, I do want to touch on and I am not saying everything was handled perfectly. As soon as we noticed he [Resident #1] was not here, all parties notified. We had police at facility in and out 30 minutes, camera reviewed, silver alert approved and issued by the state within 2 ½ hours and he was found unharmed about 30 minutes after that was issued. At the end of the day, when it comes to our elopement procedure, we followed all the necessary steps and we found him. The ADM said he QAPI'ed the incident and also terminated the DON on 08/21/23 for a number of reasons.
An interview with MA O on 08/22/23 at 12:52 PM revealed he was working a double shift on 08/19/23 from 6:00AM to 10:00 PM, but not on Resident #2's hall. He stated the nurse for Resident #2 on the 2-10PM shift was LVN Q. MA O stated he knew who Resident #2 was and that he had eloped from the facility and he usually had a wander guard on him. He remembered seeing Resident #2 on his 08/19/23 shift because he normally came to the nurses' station for snacks and MA O remembered him coming to get one after dinner on 08/19/23, but there were no snacks left because they had all been passed out already. He stated Resident #2 was okay with it and not upset. MA O stated Resident #2 usually went to bed and would come out during the evening around 8-9PM most nights. The next morning, 08/20/23, MA O stated he worked Resident #2's hall from 6AM-2PM and was told by CNA B around lunch time that she had not seen him and could not find him. They began looking in each residents' room and around the hall, and then some staff went outside to look for him and that was when everyone realized he was missing and the police and family were notified.
An interview with LVN P on 08/22/23 at 1:06 PM revealed she was the agency nurse who worked the overnight shift on Resident #2's hall on 08/19/23 into 08/20/23 and it was her first time working at the facility. She stated that night she was the charge nurse for four halls. She stated she came into the facility to work around 10:00 PM and left around 6:45 AM the next morning. When she arrived at her shift that night, LVN P stated, When I got there, I can't really say I was oriented, but I did make rounds while the 2-10 nurse was finishing up stuff. LVN P stated no one told her who was exit-seeking on her halls or who wore a wander guard. She stated she rounded on her own with no one else. LVN P stated she had rooms 507-510 (where Resident #2 resided) and she opened up each door when she started her shift to make sure there was a body in each bed. LVN P stated she remembered seeing a body in each bed; she did not go into the rooms and touch the residents but when she opened each door, she saw a body and assumed each resident was asleep . She stated she did not turn the lights on. Around 11:30 PM, the off-going nurse came back around and gave LVN P a report and then LVN P took over from there. LVN P stated she did not know who the residents were and a nurse named [LVN N] gave her a login to chart in the residents' e-chart. LVN P could not remember if she gave Resident #2 any medications or treatments during that overnight shift because there were two residents in the facility with the same last name, Resident #2 and Resident #7. She stated, So I don't remember which one I saw. I think one was on 500 and one on 700, I could be mistaken. After she left the next morning, she got a call from the facility around 12:30 PM on 08/20/23, asking questions about Resident #2.
An interview with CNA B on 08/22/23 at 1:20 PM revealed she was Resident #2's CNA on the 6AM-2PM shift 08/20/23 and got to the facility around 6:15 AM. She said she clocked in, looked at the assignment sheet, made sure her linens were stocked and all the CNAs were present and started to get the heavy-care residents up, which was not Resident #2. CNA B did not remember who the nurse was on her hall that shift. She said Resident #2 liked to walk around, so when she did not see him in his room that morning, she initially did not think anything of it. She put his breakfast tray in his room because she thought he was visiting with another resident at that time. CNA B then proceeded to get some more residents up for the day and fed a resident, then at some point went to pick up Resident #2's breakfast tray and he still was not in his room and his food had not been eaten. She said she did not panic but tried to look for him and around 9:45 AM and checked one of his friend's rooms but he was not there. CNA B stated, I figured he would pop back up. I went to dress another resident. He wasn't in his doorway asking me for a penny like he normally does and I am thinking that is not like him. I thought maybe he went out with the [family member]. At that time, CNA B said she looked at the piano in the dining room because he played sometimes, but nothing, I am thinking he will pop back up. I got up another resident then went back, not there. CNA B said she asked ADON I if she had seen him and they checked the sign out sheet. CNA B stated there was sign out for Resident #7, but not Resident #2, they both had the same last name. She asked the front desk receptionist what time Resident #7 left and she had it mixed up with Resident #2, so she asked another staff member when did Resident #2 leave, to which she was told he did not leave, he was in his room. CNA B stated, I started to panic and told [ADON I] and she and I started looking for him, did a wide search everywhere in the facility, looked outside, drove around McDonalds, grocery store, the neighborhood. Everyone in all departments looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. We just kept looking and then [ADON I] made calls. CNA B stated she was present when Resident #2 was found and brought back to the facility, it was after dinner on 08/20/23. She said she gave him his dinner tray and he looked normal but a little upset because there was a staff doing 1:1 with him and he was asking why they were in his room. CNA B stated Resident #2 did not have any recollection of what happened. CNA B stated she had never seen Resident #2 wear a wander guard when she worked with him prior to the elopement incident and he was not someone who she ever witnessed wanting to leave the facility. CNA B stated since he had been placed on 1:1, he was kind of quiet and reserved, like in a shell. He just keeps saying he doesn't want to leave this place.
An interview and observation of Resident #2 on 08/23/23 at 10:50 AM revealed he was in his room with a staff member sitting on a chair in the corner of his room. Resident #2 was interviewed privately and he stated he did not like the staff member being in his room all the time and did not know why she was there and liked his privacy. Resident #2 was able to talk, but when asked about the elopement incident when he left the facility, he was surprised and said he did not leave. He could not recall being found by the police and being gone all night and day. Resident #2 said he liked living at the facility and they understood his kind of person. He said he liked to watch television and denied that he wanted to leave. He talked about loving God and being right with him. Resident #2's could not remember the incident and had trouble with recall/memory.
An interview with MA R on 08/23/23 at 12:27 PM revealed she worked a double shift on 08/19/23 from 6AM-10PM and was in charge of passing medications for about 50 residents on four different halls. She said there was one other medication aide for the other halls in the building. MA R stated no one notified Resident #2 was missing and she remembered last seeing him around 4:00 PM between smoke break and dinner time because she saw him when dinner trays were coming out and a resident had made a comment about his cowboy that he was wearing. MA R stated she told Resident #2 hello as she was wheeling another resident down the hall, and she had just administered Resident #2 his medications a few minutes earlier. She stated the next morning she was working (08/20/23), she had asked other staff where he was because she went to pass his morning medication and he was not in the room, which was not unusual because he walked around a lot. Someone told her that he was out on pass with his [family member] and I was like cool, I'll catch him when he gets back. Around noon, MA R stated she walked past one of the aides who asked her where he was and MA R told her he had gone out on pass. They both looked in the sign out book and realized it was the other resident with the same last name who left [Resident #7], not Resident #2. MA R stated, I guess that was the confusion on where he was. She said once staff realized that it was a mistake, they started looking around, informed the nurses and then that was when phone calls started to be made and the police got involved. MA R stated in hindsight, knowing there were two residents with the same last name, she thought the facility should have made sure it was the correct person who signed out on pass. MA R stated, I feel like someone had to have gone in the room and noticed he was missing because two shifts went by. They say he left at 7:30 Saturday night, so the nurse rounding should have noticed, any of us should have noticed that he was gone but then again, it was not unlike him to not be in his room, but no one could pinpoint when they last saw him. I do think that if people had been rounding and laying eyes on him, we probably would have caught on to it earlier. MA R stated she made a comment to a police officer that even if Resident #2 had the code to get out of the facility, he would know how to come back in because it the entry code to come in was different. MA R stated the shift on 08/20/23 she worked was crazy, no one initially knew what to do once they realized Resident #2 was missing, and it was frightening, like where did he go? MA R stated there were residents who looked completely normal, like they did not belong in the nursing home and god forbid, something could have happened and this could have gone a lot worse. Interviews with nursing staff and medication aides from 08/22/23 through 08/24/23 that worked with Resident #2 did not indicate they had any issues with administering his medications to him at the times prescribed, except for MA R.
An interview with CNA X on 08/23/23 at 3:24 PM revealed she was the CNA assigned to Resident #2's hall on the overnight shift on 08/19/20 into 08/20/23 but was working a double shift that day. CNA X stated the facility was short-staffed that night and that was why she was assigned Resident #2's hall as well as all of 500 and 600 halls and one on 400 hall and some on 500 hall. She stated in total it was about 26 residents. CNA X stated she was newer to the facility about three months and was not used to faces and names yet. What she did know of Resident #2 was that he liked to be independent and did most of his ADLs by himself. CNA X remembered seeing Resident #2 eat dinner on 08/19/23 and she picked up his room tray from him around 6:30 PM. Then around 7:00 PM, CNA X remembered seeing him pushing a resident in a wheelchair to the nurses' station and then she did not see him again. On the overnight shift, CNA X stated she went to open his bedroom at 5:00 AM in the morning, but she remembered he was independent and did not want his room opened when he was sleeping. CNA X stated, I knew he didn't want us to opening the door because in the past he will tell me not to open it at night when he is sleeping. CNA X stated rounding was supposed to occur every two hours but she did not go into his room to check on him on the overnight shift because of the aforementioned reason. CNA X stated she left the next morning 08/20/23 around 6:00 AM and did not complete a final round on Resident #2. CNA X stated, I didn't try to check on him at all, not even quietly. I never knew he left until someone told me around noon the next day, I was at home. I talked to [ADON I] who asked when I last saw him and I told her I removed his tray at dinner time. CNA X confirmed again that she did not round on Resident #1 at the change of shift 08/20/23 when the 6:00 AM CNA and nurse came to work. CNA X stated now she felt like she should have done things differently, like even though Resident #2 was independent, she still should have opened his room to see if he was okay or needed anything, not just assume he was fine. She realized a resident could have fallen or have a serious injury and not be able to use the call light or call out for help, so rounding was crucial to check on the residents.
An interview with Resident #2's family member on 08/24/23 at 10:20 AM revealed she was the RP/MPOA and was very upset over the lack of supervision and response by the facility, which allowed Resident #2 to be let out of the building by a staff member with[TRUNCATED]
CRITICAL
(K)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) - the most serious Medicare violation
Accident Prevention
(Tag F0689)
Someone could have died · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to ensure residents received adequate supervision and assi...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to ensure residents received adequate supervision and assistance devices to prevent accidents for two (Resident #2 and #4) of four residents reviewed for accidents and supervision.
1. The facility staff DA M allowed Resident #2 to leave behind her without ensuring he was not a resident.
2. The facility failed to ensure Resident #2 did not elope from the facility and staff did not notice the resident was missing from Saturday, 08/19/23 at approximately 7:40 PM to the following Sunday, 08/20/23 around noon.
3. The facility staff including MA R, LVN P, LVN Q and CNA B and CNA X failed to check on Resident #2 on the 2-10PM, 10PM-6AM, AND 6AM-2PM shifts from 08/19/23 through 08/20/23 to ensure he was present in the facility.
4. The facility nurses failed to check on Resident #2 every shift per the physician's order to monitor for increased signs and symptoms of exit-seeking and/or wandering on the 10pm-6am shift from 08/19/23 through 08/20/23.
5. The facility failed to ensure the wander guard system was effective as Resident #4's wander guard did not alarm on 08/22/23 when she approached the front exit door and the side emergency exit door on Hall 700.
An Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) situation was identified on 08/22/23 at 4:50 PM. While the Immediate Jeopardy was removed on 08/24/23, the facility remained out of compliance at a scope of pattern with the potential for more than minimal harm that was not immediate jeopardy, due to the facility's need to evaluate the effectiveness of their plan of corrective systems .
These failures could place residents at risk for injury and/or death from elopement related harm, including vehicular accidents, falls, missing medications, and extreme heat exposure.
Findings include:
1. Record review of Resident #2's quarterly MDS assessment, dated 06/22/23, reflected a [AGE] year old male who was admitted to the facility on [DATE]. His active diagnoses included stroke (occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts), vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain. Vascular dementia can develop after a stroke blocks an artery in your brain), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and cognitive communication deficit (difficulty with thinking and how someone uses language). Resident #2 had no hearing, speech or vision issues, and his BIMS score was 08, which indicated he was moderately impaired cognitively. Resident #2 had no symptoms of delirium, no negative mood issues, no potential indicators of psychosis, no behavioral symptoms, no rejection of care and no wandering behaviors. Resident #2 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs, with the exception of eating, which he only required supervision. Resident #2 required one person physical assistance for transfers, bed mobility, walking in his room and in the facility per the MDS assessment. Resident #2 was not steady in his balance during transitions and walking, but able to stabilize without staff assistance. He did not have any range of motion impairments and did not use any mobility devices. Resident #2 was frequently incontinent of bowel and bladder. He required a mechanically altered diet and was administered antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Resident #2 did not have an alarm, which included any physical or electronic device that monitored his movement and alerted the staff when movement was detected, such as a wander guard.
Record review of Resident #2's care plan, dated 03/17/23 and last revised 08/21/23, reflected the following:
- Date initiated 03/17/23: The resident has Dx of Vascular Dementia unspecified severity without behavioral disturbance. Resident is taking Aricept; Interventions: Cue, orient and supervise as needed.
- Date Initiated: 06/11/2023- Resident removed wander guard (not found in room); Interventions: Encourage resident to participate in activities of choice, Notify MD of increase wandering behavior if needed.
- Date initiated: 07/20/23- Wander guard removed related to no exit seeking; Interventions: Educate Resident / Representative on the necessity of care attempted to provide, Ensure the safety of Resident and others.
Record review of Resident #2's Elopement Evaluation at his time of admission, dated 03/17/23, reflected he had no prior history of elopement at home no wandering behavior that was a pattern or goal-directed, no wandering that was likely to affect the safety or well-being of self/others and his elopement score was a 0 (zero). As a result, no interventions were checked on the assessment as being needed to prevent elopement. No other elopement evaluations were completed until after Resident #2's elopement incident on 08/19/23.
Record review of Resident #2's facility progress notes, pertinent to his use of a wander guard and elopement, incident included:
-03/17/2023- Behavior: Resident noted wandering on the hallways, other resident rooms and exit doors. Resident easily redirected back into his room and comes out of the room immediately. MD was notified and gave order to monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. RP present at the facility, notified and agreed with order. Family Member confirmed resident behavior.
-06/09/2023-Nursing: This nurse notified the MD that the resident has pitting edema +3. MD has a new order of reduce salt intake, no excessive liquids and elevate legs for one hour three times a day. MD will re-evaluate resident.
-06/11/2023-Nursing: Resident #2's family member asked nurse to encourage resident to have a shower. This nurse went to try and assist resident with shower, resident refused. Family notified. Nurse attempted multiple ways to encourage resident to shower, resident keeps telling nurse that you don't know what you're talking about. Also, nurse noticed that resident removed wander guard, family notified, admin notified. Resident keeps stating that the wander guard fell off in the shower. Unable to locate in resident's room, admin notified.
-06/28/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. No wander guard in place. (signed by ADON I)
-06/29/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. On order (signed by LVN A)
-06/29/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. No wander guard in place.
-07/07/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. On order (signed by LVN A)
-07/10/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. The resident does not have a wander guard in place.
-07/11/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Wander guard is not in place of the resident.
-07/12/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Wander guard not in place.
-07/13/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. No wander guard in place.
-07/18/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident has removed wander guard (signed by LVN A)
-07/19/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident Removed (signed by LVN A)
- 07/20/2023- Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-07/21/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-07/21/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. No wander guard in place. (signed by ADON I)
-07/24/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed, DON aware (signed by LVN A)
-07/25/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-07/26/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-07/20/23-Review of a Multidisciplinary Care Conference: (ADM and RP checked as only participants) reflected, Problems/needs-CP meeting held with Administrator and RP to discuss behaviors of resident cutting wander guard off. Discussed recent elopement assessment reflecting resident is not at risk for elopement. Based off initial elopement assessment resident has not shown exit seeking behavior and therefore not considered elopement risk. Family, Nursing administration, and Administrator that wander guard is not necessary. However, if exit seeking behavior begins, alternate placement will be discussed.
-Note: Review of a Resident #2's physician order dated 07/27/23 reflected, Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift (Active 07/27/2023).
-07/28/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed (Signed by LVN A)
-07/31/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-08/02/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-08/03/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed. (Signed by LVN A)
-08/07/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed. (Signed by LVN A)
-08/08/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed (Signed by LVN A)
An interview with LVN A on 08/24/23 at 12:05 PM revealed she was no longer employed at the facility. LVN A stated she was one of the charge nurses for Resident #2 and she had not been working very long at the facility when she was told Resident #2 had a wander guard in the past but he had cut it off or pulled it off. LVN A stated Resident #2 did not display exit-seeking behavior and at point, she tried to put a wander guard on his wrist one time only, but he removed it on the same shift. She said she did not see him remove it and after that, someone tried his ankle, and he took it off unwitnessed. She said it was in the 24-hour report that he removed it and no staff had seen it happen. LVN A stated the wander guard was not located and she did not know if it was ever found. Aside from placing a wander guard on his wrist that one time, LVN A stated she did not try to place another one on him after that. LVN A stated, I kept saying resident removed in my notes and asked the DON if she wanted me to get the order discontinued and she said let me see if I can have it replaced with metal band or get with family to figure it out.
Record review of Resident #2's nursing progress notes, for 08/19/23 and 08/20/23, did not reflect he was missing or eloped from the facility. The only nursing notes for those dates reflected, 08/20/2023-Nursing: MD notified that resident was found [signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Called MD and notified him that family, responsible party was in facility with resident at this time and requests that he has his night medications at this time. MD gave N/O to give meds now. [signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: [hospital] notified that resident was found [Signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Resident returns to the building with family at bedside. Head to toe assessment and VS done. VS: BP 130/92, 02 96% RA, HR 96, RR 17, and no c/o pain. No injuries or tears noted to skin. Dry scaly heels bilaterally. Resident is calm, friendly and engaging in conversation; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Resident currently resting in bed. He is on 1 to 1 observation; 08/21/2023 Nursing: MD notified of the resident increased confusion and gave order to increase Donepezil HCl Oral Tablet to 10 MG at bedtime. MD also gave dx of Psychosis with Dementia for Seroquel. [family member] notified via VM.
Record review of the facility's incident for Resident #2, dated 08/20/23 at 12:10 PM, reflected Incident description: Resident noted to be missing from room at approximately 12 PM. Search conducted at facility. Admin notified ASAP. Approximately 6 PM police notified facility that resident was found. Immediate Action Taken: Facility was searched and administration, responsible party, physician, DON, and [hospital] notified. Police department notified. MD notified of missed medications, no new orders given. Upon return to facility, head to toe assessment and pain assessment done. Resident placed on one on one care, sitter at bedside.
Review of website: https://www.accuweather.com (retrieved 08/22/23) revealed the temperature high for the location Resident #2 was found on 08/20/23 was 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
Review of Resident #2's August 2023 MAR reflected he missed the following prescribed medications during the time he was missing from the facility on 08/20/23 were Aspirin Oral Capsule 81 MG (blood thinner), Calcium-Vitamin D Oral Tablet 500 MG Protein Oral Liquid 30 ml (supplement).
An observation of the facility video footage, dated 08/19/23 at approximately 7:38 PM, showed Resident #2 walking down the hallway casually towards the front lobby. DA M was also observed coming down a different hallway to the front entrance. No other staff, family members or residents were observed. DA M went to the keyed alarm panel to the left side of the front door and while she was putting in the code, Resident #2 walked towards her and was standing behind her. When she opened the door, she held it open for him and he walked out through the door after her. Then there was a second sliding door that automatically opened without a code and they both proceeded out of that door together out into the parking lot.
An interview with Resident #2's RP on 08/22/23 at 6:30 AM revealed when Resident #1 was located by the Police, she went to see him and transport him back to the facility. The RP stated she observed Resident #1 to be extremely confused and scared. He was covered from head to toe in dirt and had a trash bag full of garbage one would find in a dumpster. The RP stated she was a RN and was able to assess her father and noted that he had 4+pitting edema.
An interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 9:40 AM revealed he was notified on 08/20/23 at approximately 1:00 PM that Resident #2 was missing by ADON I. He asked her what happened and she said staff had searched the entire facility to verify Resident #2 was not there, so the ADM drove to the facility and on his way called the local police department and filed a report. The police arrived at the same time he arrived at the facility. Then the ADM started going through surveillance footage in the facility with police and while he was doing that, DA M came to his office and said she thought she may have known what happened. DA M told him on her way out the door the evening before on Saturday 08/19/23, at approximately 7:38 PM, someone had slipped out the front door behind her and she thought it was a family member of a resident; she didn't recognize the person. The ADM said he went to that part of the surveillance footage and sure enough, it was [Resident #2] that went outside, walked out. In her defense, it was very smooth , he has dementia but you wouldn't know that, you would have to have a conversation to determine that. The ADM stated there would not have been a front desk staff at 7:40 PM the evening of the incident. The ADM stated he then checked the outside surveillance footage and was able to see Resident #2 coming around the side of the building walking down the sidewalk to the left of the facility. He stated, At that point, by the time I found that footage, police had already started process for silver alert and approximately. 30 minutes later, I got a call from sergeant saying he had been found in a hotel lobby in Grapevine. The ADM stated the police notified the family who were on their way to pick Resident #1 up. He stated the family had been notified around 1:00 PM that afternoon that Resident #2 was missing and he was found around 6:00 PM. The ADM stated he was told Resident #2 was found with a trash bag and a water bottle, a banana and a couple rachet straps and surmised the resident may have gotten a ride due to the distance. He was brought back to the facility, placed on 1:1 supervision and had been on 1:1 since then. The ADM stated, So this was the confusion, I had a couple of statements from staff saying he was identified later that night of when he eloped around 11:00 PM asking for snacks at the nurses station. Number one, it is very common for him to not be in his room, he has no history of exit seeking, just walking around the facility. The ADM stated Resident #2 would not have known how to get back into the facility if he was locked outside and stated the front exit door locked after the door closed. The ADM further stated Resident #2 was not wearing a wander guard anymore because he was a low-elopement risk and just walked around the facility and had dementia. The ADM stated he ordered a tamper-resistant wander guard bracelet, but did not have any evidence of it, and Resident #2 kept removing it. The ADM stated Resident #2 had cut through four to five wander guards off his wrists, even though he had no evidence of it, did not know when the wander guards were attempted to be placed, was not present for the placement and no one ever saw the resident remove them. He stated he met with Resident #2's family in July 2023 and told them Resident #2 was not exit-seeking and was cutting the wander guard off, so we need it removed or if they want him to keep it on, he needed to move. He stated the resolution was to take it off his ankle and move it to his wrist by the family request because the family told him Resident #2 had a criminal history in the past where he had to wear and ankle monitor and having one on his leg in the nursing home may have triggered him. The ADM stated, We agreed to have it discontinued because he has never tried to elope before. The [family member] was okay with that and we were all on the same page. It was in a way a perfect storm for this to happen. We had the wander guard removed because of no exit seeking and he doesn't come across as having dementia and looks like a family member. The ADM stated once Resident #2 was located post-elopement and brought back to the facility, he did not interview him. He stated, I want to say someone [name unknown] from our nursing staff talked to him [name unknown] . The ADM admitted the overnight staff working 08/19/23 into 08/20/23 did not round on Resident #1. He said he was still conducting his facility investigation, but from what he could tell thus far, he was told CNA X rounded on Resident #2 at midnight but then later said maybe she got the resident rooms mixed up. The ADM stated, [Resident #2] does not like to be bothered at night and gets agitated, so that was why he had less rounds. If he doesn't require incontinent care, then it would be opening his door to make sure he was there as rounding. He does not have a roommate. It could be done quietly and that was my conversation with them yesterday when we started the in-service. The ADM stated the elopement incident could have been prevented by staff ensuring when they left the facility exits, to make sure there were no residents trying to leave and if they were unsure who a resident was, to stop and ask them. The ADM stated, This goes back to us not being equipped to care for his needs. He is not the type of resident appropriate for this care, but we would not have known that. A wander guard would have solved this problem. He removed four or five wander guards .
An interview with MD D on 08/23/23 at 1:00 PM revealed he did not know Resident #1 was on his caseload until the incident with the elopement. He stated he did not know he was missing for over 18 hours and only got notified when he was located.
An interview with DA M on 08/22/23 at 10:12 AM revealed she did not interact much with residents and 95% of the time she was in the kitchen and at other times, she was delivering meal carts to CNAs or nurses. She said she did not know who Resident #2 was and could not recall seeing him before. DA M stated, When I let him out, I saw him standing the door, I had my head down and ready to head out, I typed in code and he followed right behind me, he said thank you so much, clear as day, and I thought he was family member. I didn't think much of it. DA M stated she had not been informed by the facility who were potential exit-seekers or what to do if she saw one of those residents attempting to elope. She stated, 'I didn't think I would be in a situation where I would be dealing one-on-one with a resident. I had not been informed on what to do if one wanted to leave. If I had seen him around and knew him, I would have grabbed a CNA or nurse and told them he was trying to leave, but it was the end of my shift, I clocked out and wasn't thinking much of it, I thought he was a visitor of a resident here. I walked out and my mom who was in a car picking me up, said she had seen a man walk out behind me but didn't think much of it . He was dressed in casual clothing, I glimpsed at him. DA M stated when she came to work Sunday 08/20/23, the kitchen staff were telling her about a resident who had eloped the day before and it was then she realized through their description of him, that it might be the man she let out the day before. DA M said she ran to the ADM's office and the police were there and she told them what happened the night before and they were able to then pull it up on surveillance camera and verify Resident #2 went out the door behind her around 7:38 PM.
An interview with ADON I on 08/22/23 at 10:41AM revealed she was at the facility on 08/19/23 until 5:00 PM and was at the facility on 08/20/23 from 6:00 AM until 11:00PM. ADON I stated when she came into work on 08/20/23, no one mentioned Resident #2 was missing. She said the CNA that worked with him (CNA B), went to pick up his breakfast tray around 12:10 PM and it had not been eaten and she then asked ADON I if she had seen him around. ADON I said the CNA B would have delivered the breakfast tray around 7:45AM-8:30AM. ADON I stated they immediately checked all the resident rooms and bathroom, his friends' rooms and he was not present. Then someone drove the perimeter outside, down to the nearby shopping strip and did not see him. Then ADON I called the family and asked them if Resident #2 was with them and they said no. At that point ADON I stated she called the DON, called ADM and called the staff who worked the night shift before. She said there was an agency nurse (LVN P) who said she remembered checking on Resident #2 during her overnight shift. ADON I also stated she called the overnight CNA, who also remembered checking on Resident #2 during the overnight shift. Once ADON I was informed by the ADM Resident #2 was seen through video surveillance leaving the facility on 08/19/23 at approximately 7:40 PM, she stated, That made me question staff that told me they had seen him that night. ADON I said by the time Resident #2 was found and returned to the facility, he had missed three shifts of medications over two days. ADON I stated Resident #2 did not have a wander guard on because he kept cutting them off and the facility had been through about 10 or 12 of them. She said Resident #2 had never tried to exit-seek before, I have never even heard him ask, he is usually very pleasant and interactive. She stated, When we have done a wander guard in past, it was on his ankle. We have never tried one on his wrist that I can remember, don't know if it was tried. ADON I stated, Plan now for him is he has been so far one on one and I think they are going to place him in a more secured facility. That I can't say for sure. ADON I stated there were photos in a binder of the residents who exit-seeked and that binder was at each nurses station and the front desk. She said Resident #2 was not in the binder. ADON I stated most of the staff understand that during the day, the front desk receptionist let people out through the front door with a code, but staff would also let them in and out too but most of them knew who the residents were and who was not supposed to leave. She said if a staff member was not sure if a person was a resident, they should not let them out and check with the charge nurses or other direct care staff. ADON I stated LVN N was the weekend supervisor who worked until 10:00 PM on 08/19/23.
An interview with LVN N on 08/22/23 at 11:09 AM revealed he was the weekend supervisor on 08/19/23 and he left the facility around 11:00 PM and was off work on 08/20/23. He said he got a call from one of the ADONs on 08/20/23 and she told him Resident #2 was missing and they were in the process of looking for him. He remembered seeing Resident #2 on 08/19/23 around 3:45 PM in the hallway, He normally comes out and stands in the hallway then comes back to his room. As far as I know, he hasn't tried to get out of the door before.
A follow up interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 12:16 PM revealed he did not have a policy for wander guards. The ADM stated, I do want to touch on and I am not saying everything was handled perfectly. As soon as we noticed he [Resident #1] was not here, all parties notified. We had police at facility in and out 30 minutes, camera reviewed, silver alert approved and issued by the state within 2 ½ hours and he was found unharmed about 30 minutes after that was issued. At the end of the day, when it comes to our elopement procedure , we followed all the necessary steps and we found him . The ADM said he QAPI'ed the incident and also terminated the DON on 08/21/23 for a number of reasons .
An interview with MA O on 08/22/23 at 12:52 PM revealed he was working a double shift on 08/19/23 from 6:00AM to 10:00 PM, but not on Resident #2's hall. He stated the nurse for Resident #2 on the 2-10PM shift was LVN Q. MA O stated he knew who Resident #2 was and he had eloped from the facility. The resident usually had a wander guard on him. He remembered seeing Resident #2 on his 08/19/23 shift because he normally came to the nurses' station for snacks and MA O remembered him coming to get one after dinner on 08/19/23, but there were no snacks left because they had all been passed out already. He stated Resident #2 was okay with it and not upset. MA O stated Resident #2 usually went to bed and would come out during the evening around 8-9PM most nights. The next morning, 08/20/23, MA O stated he worked Resident #2's hall from 6AM-2PM and was told by CNA B around lunch time that she had not seen him and could not find him. They began looking in each residents' room and around the hall, and then some staff went outside to look for him and that was when everyone realized he was missing and the police and family were notified.
An interview with LVN P on 08/22/23 at 1:06 PM revealed she was the agency nurse who worked the overnight shift on Resident #2's hall on 08/19/23 into 08/20/23 and it was her first time working at the facility. She stated that night she was the charge nurse for four halls. She stated she came into the facility to work around 10:00 PM and left around 6:45 AM the next morning. When she arrived at her shift that night, LVN P stated, When I got there, I can't really say I was oriented, but I did make rounds while the 2-10PM nurse was finishing up stuff. LVN P stated no one told her who was exit-seeking on her halls or who wore a wander guard. She stated she rounded on her own with no one else. LVN P stated she had rooms 507-510 (where Resident #2 resided) and she opened up each door when she started her shift to make sure there was a body in each bed. LVN P stated she remembered seeing a body in each bed; she did not go into the rooms and touch the residents but when she opened each door, she saw a body and assumed each resident was asleep. She stated she did not turn the lights on. Around 11:30 PM, the off-going nurse came back around and gave LVN P a report and then LVN P took over from there. LVN P stated she did not know who the residents were and a nurse named (LVN N) gave her a login to chart in the residents' e-chart. LVN P could not remember if she gave Resident #2 any medications or treatments during the overnight shift because there were two residents in the facility with the same last name, Resident #2 and Resident #7. She stated, So I don't remember which one I saw. I think one was on 500 and one on 700, I could be mistaken. After she left the next morning, she got a call from the facility around 12:30 PM on 08/20/23, asking questions about Resident #2.
Review of Resident #2's clinical chart revealed no documentation in his care plan or progress notes that he did not want to be disturbed at night.
An interview with CNA B on 08/22/23 at 1:20 PM revealed she was Resident #2's CNA on the 6AM-2PM shift 08/20/23 and got to the facility around 6:15 AM. CNA B did not remember who the nurse was on her hall that shift. She said Resident #2 liked to walk around, so when she did not see him in his room that morning, she initially did not think anything of it. She put his breakfast tray in his room because she thought he was visiting with another resident at that time. CNA B then proceeded to get some more residents up for the day and fed a resident, then at some point went to pick up Resident #2's breakfast tray and he still was not in his room and his food had not been eaten. She said she did not panic but tried to look for him and around 9:45 AM and checked one of his friend's rooms but he was not there. CNA B stated, I figured he would pop back up. I went to dress another resident. He wasn't in his doorway asking me for a penny like he normally does and I am thinking that is not like him. I thought maybe he went out with the [family member]. At that time, CNA B said she looked at the piano in the dining room because he played sometimes, but nothing, I am thinking he will pop back up. I got up another resident then went back, not there. CNA B said she asked ADON I if she had seen him and they checked the sign out sheet. CNA B stated there was sign out for Resident #7, but not Resident #2, they both had the same last name. She asked the front desk receptionist what time Resident #7 left and she had it mixed up with Resident #2, so she asked another staff member when did Resident #2 leave, to which she was told he did not leave, he was in his room. CNA B stated, I started to panic and told [ADON I] and she and I started looking for him, did a wide search everywhere in the facility, looked outside, drove around McDonalds, grocery store, the neighborhood. Everyone in all departments looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. We just kept looking and then [ADON I] made calls. CNA B stated she was present when Resident #2 was found [TRUNCATED]
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0552
(Tag F0552)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure the resident/RP has the right to be informed of, and partici...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure the resident/RP has the right to be informed of, and participate in, his or her treatment for one (Resident #2) of ten individuals reviewed for resident and RP rights.
Resident #2's RP was not notified or provided any information of a doctor's appointment to which she needed to attend due to the resident having vascular dementia and having recently eloped when he was let out of the facility unknowingly by a staff member. The RP was denied the opportunity to attend the doctor's appointment post-elopement to help be a part of the treatment decisions.
Findings included:
Review of Resident #2's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE], reflected he was a [AGE] year old male admitted to the facility on [DATE]. His active diagnoses included stroke (occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts), vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and cognitive communication deficit (difficulty with thinking and how someone uses language). Resident #2 had no hearing, speech or vision issues, and his BIMS score was 08, which indicated he was moderately impaired cognitively. Resident #2 had no symptoms of delirium, no negative mood issues, no potential indicators of psychosis, no behavioral symptoms, no rejection of care and no wandering behaviors. Resident #2 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs, with the exception of eating, which he only required supervision. Resident #2 required one person physical assistance for transfers, bed mobility, walking in his room and in the facility per the MDS assessment. Resident #2 was not steady in his balance during transitions and walking, but able to stabilize without staff assistance. He did not have any range of motion impairments and did not use any mobility devices. Resident #2 was frequently incontinent of bowel and bladder. He required a mechanically altered diet and was administered antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Resident #2's MDS did not indicate he used an alarm, which included any physical or electronic device that monitored his movement and alerted the staff when movement was detected, such as a wander guard.
An interview with Resident #2's RP on 08/24/23 at 11:15 AM revealed she was currently at the facility and had just gone to Resident #2's room and he was not there . The RP stated he/she was very upset and worried. The RP then asked staff where he was and they told her Resident #2 had gone to a doctor's appointment at the [hospital]. The RP stated he/she had not been notified of the doctor's appointment and was not given the chance to accompany Resident #2, which was something the RP had told nursing staff (names unknown) during the last doctor's appointment because Resident #2 had been scared to leave the facility. The RP stated he/she told the nursing staff multiple times that when Resident #2 had an appointment scheduled, to notify the RP so he/she could be present, but it did not happen. The RP stated he/she was worried about Resident #2 being out in the community in lieu of the recent elopement due to facility lack of supervision and did not know if anyone went with him. The RP stated after the past weekend's events of Resident #2's elopement from the facility, he/she should have been notified if Resident #2 was leaving the facility so the RP could be there to provide emotional support.
An interview with the Front Desk Receptionist (with the ADM and RP present) on 08/24/23 at 11:20 AM revealed the front desk receptionist did not have Resident #2 on her hand-written list of family to contact for an appointment. She stated she had a list of about four residents whose families needed to be notified when an appointment was made, but Resident #2 was not on that list. The front desk receptionist stated she knew which families to call because someone from nursing staff would just tell her.
An interview with the ADM on 08/24/23 at 11:23 AM revealed he was not sure what the communication process was to ensure the RP/MPOA's of residents were notified of doctor's appointments so they could attend or who was responsible for monitoring staff to ensure family/RP were involved with resident activities. The ADM stated the [hospital] required a person to be with any of their residents (to include Resident #2) for any appointments, so the facility had sent 1:1 staff with him so he was not alone.
An interview with the charge nurse LVN Y for Resident #2 on 08/24/23 at 1:38 PM revealed the resident had an appointment earlier that morning. LVN Y stated in the past there was a scheduler, front desk receptionist or medical records who would handle the transportation and escort to doctor appointments, but when the [hospital] made an appointment, they organized transport and the facility was responsible for providing an escort and any clinical documentation. LVN Y stated the escort was done by the scheduler. He stated, We have the front desk lady, medical records and then scheduler and they work together. In the past it was the front desk who scheduled but since she quit, I can't say who does it. Like now, this morning I know the scheduler was responsible by telling who to go with him. I don't know actually who has that responsibility fully for that job. LVN Y stated when the facility makes an appointment, they were supposed to call and notify the RP and let them know and ask if they wanted to transport or attend, but he did not know the protocol if the [hospital] made the appointment. LVN Y said as a nurse, when there was a resident who went to a [hospital] appointment, the nurse made sure they provided the needed documentation, the resident leaves with the escort, and came back and if they had any results, the nurse would call the family and let them know what changes were made and the outcome of the appointment.
A follow-up interview with the front desk receptionist on 08/24/23 at 2:49 PM revealed for doctors' appointments, her role was that she was responsible to put the residents with appointments on the transport shuttle that were listed on the daily transportation list, other than that, I don't do anything else, the nurses call families, but I was doing it for certain families but from now on, I am calling them all. Like for tomorrow I will call the family members today so there won't be a discrepancy. The front desk receptionist stated with Resident #2, she did not know what happened that morning and had never heard anything about his RP needing to be notified for appointments. She said the nurses would have told her and maybe there was a miscommunication, but usually nurses call the relatives, that is not what I do, I just put them on the shuttles and let transport know who to pick up.
The facility ADM was asked on 08/24/23 for a policy related to RP accompaniment to doctor's appointments but did not have one.
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0660
(Tag F0660)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to develop and implement an effective discharge planning ...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to develop and implement an effective discharge planning process that focused on the resident's discharge goals, the preparation of residents to be active partners and effectively transition them to post-discharge care, and the reduction of factors leading to preventable readmissions for one (Resident #2) of one residents reviewed for discharge planning.
The facility failed to implement an effective discharge plan for Resident #2 that made him and his RP an active partner in the process and prepared him when he was discharged to the [hospital] hospital after an elopement from the facility.
This failure could place residents at risk of not receiving care and services to meet their needs upon discharge.
Findings included:
Review of Resident #2's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE], reflected he was a [AGE] year old male admitted to the facility on [DATE]. His active diagnoses included stroke (occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts), vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and cognitive communication deficit (difficulty with thinking and how someone uses language). Resident #2 had no hearing, speech or vision issues, and his BIMS score was 08, which indicated he was moderately impaired cognitively. Resident #2 had no symptoms of delirium, no negative mood issues, no potential indicators of psychosis, no behavioral symptoms, no rejection of care and no wandering behaviors. Resident #2 required one-person physical assistance for all ADLs, with the exception of eating, which he only required supervision. Resident #2 required one-person physical assistance for transfers, bed mobility, walking in his room and in the facility per the MDS assessment. Resident #2 was not steady in his balance during transitions and walking, but able to stabilize without staff assistance. He did not have any range of motion impairments and did not use any mobility devices. Resident #2 was frequently incontinent of bowel and bladder. He required a mechanically altered diet and was administered antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Resident #2's MDS did not indicate he used an alarm, which included any physical or electronic device that monitored his movement and alerted the staff when movement was detected, such as a wander guard. Resident #2's MDS reflected no discharge planning was in effect.
Review of Resident #2's care plan dated 03/17/23 and last revised 08/21/23 reflected the following:
- Date initiated 03/17/23: The resident has Dx of Vascular Dementia unspecified severity without behavioral disturbance. Resident is taking Aricept; Interventions: Cue, orient and supervise as needed.
- Date Initiated: 06/11/2023- Resident removed wander guard (not found in room); Interventions: Encourage resident to participate in activities of choice, Notify MD of increase wandering behavior if needed.
- Date initiated: 07/20/23- Wander guard removed related to no exit seeking; Interventions: Educate Resident / Representative on the necessity of care attempted to provide, Ensure the safety of Resident and others.
-Date initiated: 08/21/23- Resident elopement from facility 8/19/23; returned 8/20/23. Resident will remain 1:1 until alternate placement is found; Interventions: Assess resident's coping skills and support system, Assess resident's understanding of the situation. Allow time for the resident to express self and feelings towards the situation.
Review of Resident #2's Elopement Evaluation at his time of admission dated 03/17/23 reflected he had no prior history of elopement at home no wandering behavior that was a pattern or goal-directed, no wandering that was likely to affect the safety or well-being of self/others and his elopement score was a 0 (zero). As a result, no interventions were checked on the assessment as being needed to prevent elopement. No other elopement evaluations were completed until after Resident #2's elopement incident on 08/19/23.
Review of the facility's incident report for Resident #2 dated 08/20/23 completed by ADON I at 12:10 PM reflected Incident description: Resident noted to be missing from room at approximately 12pm. Search conducted at facility. Admin notified ASAP. Approximately 6pm police notified facility that resident was found. Immediate Action Taken: Facility was searched and administration, responsible party, physician, DON, and [hospital] notified. Police department notified. MD notified of missed medications, no new orders given. Upon return to facility, head to toe assessment and pain assessment done. Resident placed on one on one care, sitter at bedside.
Review of Resident #2's nursing progress notes for 08/19/23 and 08/20/23 did not reflect he was missing or eloped from the facility. The only nursing notes for those dates reflected, 08/20/2023-Nursing: MD notified that resident was found [signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Called MD and notified him that family, responsible party was in facility with resident at this time and requests that he has his night medications at this time. MD gave N/O to give meds now. [signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: [hospital] notified that resident was found [Signed by ADON I]; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Resident returns to the building with family at bedside. Head to toe assessment and VS done. VS: BP 130/92, 02 96% RA, HR 96, RR 17, and no c/o pain. No injuries or tears noted to skin. Dry scaly heels bilaterally. Resident is calm, friendly and engaging in conversation; 08/20/2023-Nursing: Resident currently resting in bed. He is on 1 to 1 observation; 08/21/2023 Nursing: MD notified of the resident increased confusion and gave order to increase Donepezil HCl Oral Tablet to 10 MG at bedtime. MD also gave dx of Psychosis with Dementia for Seroquel. [RP] notified via VM.
An interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 9:40 AM revealed he was notified on 08/20/23 at approximately 1:00 PM that Resident #2 was missing by ADON I. He asked her what happened and she said staff had just searched the entire facility to verify Resident #2 was not there, so the ADM drove to the facility and on his way called the local police department and filed a report. The police arrived at the same time he arrived at the facility. Then the ADM started going through surveillance footage in the facility with police and while he was doing that, DA M came to his office and said she thought she may have known what happened. DA M told him on her way out the door the evening before on Saturday 08/19/23, at approximately 7:38 PM, someone had slipped out the front door behind her and she thought it was a family member of a resident; she didn't recognize the person. The ADM said he went to that part of the surveillance footage and sure enough, it was [Resident #2] that went outside, walked out. In her defense, it was very smooth, he has dementia but you wouldn't know that, you would have to have a conversation to determine that. The ADM stated there would not have been a front desk staff at 7:40 PM the evening of the incident. The ADM stated he then checked the outside surveillance footage and was able to see Resident #2 coming around the side of the building walking down the sidewalk to the left of the facility. He stated, At that point, by the time I found that footage, police had already started process for silver alert and approx. 30 minutes later, I got a call from sergeant saying he had been found in a hotel lobby in Grapevine. The ADM stated the police notified the family who were on their way to pick Resident #1 up. He stated the family had been notified around 1:00 PM that afternoon that Resident #2 was missing and he was found around 6:00 PM. The ADM stated he was told Resident #2 was found with a trash bag and a water bottle, a banana and a couple rachet straps and surmised the resident may have gotten a ride due to the distance. He was brought back to the facility, placed on 1:1 supervision and had been on 1:1 since then. The ADM stated, So this was the confusion, I had a couple of statements from staff saying he was identified later that night of when he eloped around 11:00 PM asking for snacks at the nurses station. Number one, it is very common for him to not be in his room, he has no history of exit seeking, just walking around the facility. The ADM stated Resident #2 would not have known how to get back into the facility if he was locked outside and confirmed the front exit door locked after the door closed. The ADM further stated Resident #2 was not wearing a wander guard anymore because he was a low-elopement risk and just walked around the facility and had dementia. The ADM stated he ordered a tamper-resistant wander guard bracelet, but did not have any evidence of it, and he stated Resident #2 kept removing it, but did not have any observations of staff seeing him do it. The ADM stated Resident #2 had cut through four to five wander guards off his wrists, even though he had no evidence of it, did not know when the wander guards were attempted to be placed, was not present for the placement and no one ever saw the resident remove them. He stated he met with Resident #2's family in July 2023 and told them Resident #2 was not exit-seeking and was cutting the wander guard off, so we need it removed or if they want him to keep it on, he needed to move. He stated the resolution was to take it off his ankle and move it to his wrist by family request because the family told him Resident #2 had a criminal history with ankle monitors and having one on his leg may have triggered him. The ADM stated, We agreed to have it discontinued because he has never tried to elope before. The [family member] was okay with that and we were all on the same page. It was in a way a perfect storm for this to happen. We had the wander guard removed because of no exit seeking and he doesn't come across as having dementia and looks like a family member. The ADM stated once Resident #2 was located post-elopement and brought back to the facility, he did not attempt to interview him. He stated, I want to say someone from our nursing staff talked to him. The ADM admitted the overnight staff working 06/19/23 into 06/20/23 did not round on Resident #1. He said he was still conducting his facility investigation, but from what he could tell thus far, he had been told CNA X rounded on Resident #2 at midnight but then later said maybe she got the resident rooms mixed up. The ADM stated, This goes back to us not being equipped to care for his needs. He is not the type of resident appropriate for this care, but we would not have known that. A wander guard would have solved this problem. He removed four or five wander guards. Regarding Resident #2's emergency discharge, the ADM stated skilled nursing facilities could not provide one on one care to residents so what the resident needed was a locked unit because he showed exit-seeking behavior and removed wander guards. The ADM stated if Resident #2 did not remove his wander guard(s), he could stay. The ADM stated he initially wanted to send Resident #2 to the [hospital] post-elopement and he needed to talk to the [hospital] social worker because he could not keep him on one-on-one long term. He said the RP told him no, that Resident #2 got agitated and confused and did not want him sent to the hospital and sent the ADM a long text message to that fact on 08/21/23. The ADM said he then told the RP the facility would not send Resident #2 to the [hospital] hospital but they would have to find another placement. The ADM stated the RP understood and the facility was already sending Resident #2's clinicals to other facilities.
Review of the facility's clinical records, including care plans, MDS assessments, elopement evaluations, behavior monitoring logs and nursing notes from March 2023 through 08/18/23 reflected Resident #2 had not shown exit-seeking behavior.
An observation of the facility video footage dated 08/19/23 at approximately 7:38 PM showed Resident #2 walking down the hallway casually towards the front lobby. DA M was also observed coming down a different hallway to the front entrance. No other staff, family members or residents were observed. DA M went to the keyed alarm panel to the left side of the front door and while she was putting in the code, Resident #2 walked towards her and was standing behind her. When she opened the door, she held it open for him and he walked out through the door after her. Then there was a second sliding door that automatically opened without a code and they both proceeded out of that door together out into the parking lot.
Review of Resident #2's facility progress notes pertinent to his use of a wander guard and elopement incident included:
-03/17/2023- Behavior: Resident noted wondering on the hallways, other resident rooms and exit doors. Resident easily redirected back into his room and comes out of the room immediately. MD was notified and gave order to monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. RP present at the facility, notified and agreed with order. [RP] confirmed resident behavior.
-06/11/2023-Nursing: Resident #2's family member asked nurse to encourage resident to have a shower. This nurse went to try and assist resident with shower, resident refused. Family notified. Nurse attempted multiple ways to encourage resident to shower, resident keeps telling nurse that you don't know what you're talking about. Also, nurse noticed that resident was removed wander guard, family notified, admin notified. Resident keeps stating that the wander guard fell off in the shower. Unable to locate in resident's room, admin notified.
-06/28/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. No wander guard in place. (signed by ADON I)
-06/29/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. On order (signed by LVN A)
-06/29/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. No wander guard in place
-07/07/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. On order (signed by LVN A)
-07/10/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. The resident does not have a wander guard in place
-07/11/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Wander guard is not in place of the resident
-07/12/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Wander guard not in place
-07/13/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to left ankle and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. No wander guard in place
-07/18/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident has removed wander guard (signed by LVN A)
-07/19/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident Removed (signed by LVN A)
- 07/20/2023- Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-07/21/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-07/21/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. No wander guard in place. (signed by ADON I)
-07/24/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed, DON aware (signed by LVN A)
-07/25/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-07/26/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor wander guard to right wrist and monitor skin under wander guard for irritation q shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-07/20/23-Review of a Multidisciplinary Care Conference: (ADM and RP checked as only participants) reflected, Problems/needs-CP meeting held with Administrator and RP to discuss behaviors of resident cutting wander guard off. Discussed recent elopement assessment reflecting resident is not at risk for elopement. Based off initial elopement assessment resident has not shown exit seeking behavior and therefore not considered elopement risk. Family, Nursing administration, and Administrator that wander guard is not necessary. However, if exit seeking behavior begins, alternate placement will be discussed.
-Note: Review of a Resident #2's physician order dated 07/27/23 reflected, Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift (Active 07/27/2023).
-07/28/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed (Signed by LVN A)
-07/31/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-08/02/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed (signed by LVN A)
-08/03/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed. (Signed by LVN A)
-08/07/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed. (Signed by LVN A)
-08/08/2023-Medication Administration Note: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift. Resident removed (Signed by LVN A)
A follow up interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 12:16 PM revealed he did not have a policy for wander guards. ADM stated, I do want to touch on and I am not saying everything was handled perfectly [related to staff response to Resident #2 missing] . As soon as we noticed he [Resident #1] was not here, all parties were notified. We had police at the facility in and out about 30 minutes, camera reviewed, silver alert approved and issued by the state within 2 ½ hours and he was found unharmed about 30 minutes after that was issued. At the end of the day, when it comes to our elopement procedure, we followed all the necessary steps and we found him. The ADM said he QAPI'ed the incident and also terminated the DON on 08/21/23 for a number of reasons.
An interview with Resident #2's family member on 08/24/23 at 10:20 AM revealed she was the RP/MPOA and was very upset over the lack of supervision and response by the facility, which allowed Resident #2 to be let out of the building by a staff member without anyone knowing until the next day. During the interview, the RP was also upset because she had just met with the ADM a few minutes prior (08/24/23) and he told the RP that Resident #2 was going to be discharged because he kept cutting off his wander guard. The RP was incredulous that Resident #2 had cut a wander guard off because the staff had told her there were never any scissors or knives located in his room, and staff never saw him take a wander guard off, so how could the facility management know when they were placing one on him and when it was coming off, since no one could account for them. She stated the ADM told her Resident #2 was going to be issued an emergency discharge and he was the only resident that did not have a wander guard and hence, because of the elopement, they could not care for him anymore. The RP stated the ADM told her she was being uncooperative and she told him he was being uncooperative for not trying other modalities and not allowing the RP to be present when the wander guard was being put on his body by the staff, which was something she had requested several times months prior when they told her he had removed it. The RP stated the ADM gave verbal notice of an emergency discharge via the RP's cell phone at 8:27 AM on 08/21/23 and told her he had gone through his channels and knew his rights and was letting the RP know he had applied for an emergency discharge and the local ombudsman was aware. The RP stated when Resident #2 first removed the wander guard, no one notified her, and she did not know what date or shift it occurred on. The RP stated it was herself that found the wander guard the first time on Resident #2's table in his room around April 2023. The RP asked the staff to place it on him because it was just sitting in his room and Resident #2 did not know what it was. Resident #2 did not know if they had already put it on him, or if it was going to be placed on him. The RP asked the ADM why did he not call her because he had agreed in their previous discussion that the RP would be there to place it on Resident #2, but he didn't and no one did, his excuse was nurses did it, they didn't tell me and he claimed he had bought a metal zip type wander guard and used a pair of scissors and was able to cut it off, so he never attempted to put it on [Resident #2]. The RP stated she told the ADM she was supposed to be present for the wander guard placement and he told her the nurses were busy and they did not have a chance to call her and the ADM had cut through the new one ordered do he did not bother trying it on Resident #2. The RP stated she was not part of the communications when they initially placed the wander guard on Resident #2 or when they first saw that it had been removed. The RP stated the facility did not attempt to place a new wander guard on Resident #2 when she brought him back to the facility after the elopement incident on 08/20/23. kThe RP also stated she had asked during a care plan meeting four months prior, to have Resident #2's Aricept increased. The RP followed up with the facility about three to four times, but they said he needed to be evaluated by psyche, which the RP gave consent to and also pre-authorized an increase in the Aricept. After a couple of weeks, the RP contacted the psychiatrist who told her he had been seeing Resident #2 and they were getting the increase in Aricept taken care of, but two weeks later, she talked to the facility SW (no longer employed), who told her she would follow up to see if the order was written and would let the doctor know. The RP stated this was important to know because she found out now that the Aricept medication was never increased and she told the ADM after the elopement incident on 08/23/23. After that, the ADM sent her a text message stating Resident #2's had just been increased, to which she replied to him, This could have helped him from elopement and my four attempts to get it increased were not addressed. The RP stated the ADM had not provided a written letter of emergency discharge and stated they just met with her that morning to tell her they could not care for Resident #2 because he took the wander guard off. The RP stated a woman contacted her on 08/23/23 from another facility stating Resident #2's clinicals had been sent to them. The RP told that woman she did not give permission to send his clinical to that facility to which the woman responded that she was going to be assisting with Resident #2's discharge and that the facility did not take his insurance, but they could still accept him. Then the SW called the RP stating she was trying to find placement and the RP told the SW, I already told you right now is not a good time to move him due to your negligence of an employee letting him out, it is not fair and I haven't had the chance to look at the these places and no one has provided me a list and random people have been calling me. The RP stated the way the ADM had put it, it sounded like Resident #2 was being discharged asap. The RP stated, I have said no every move and he has said I am being uncooperative. He said he was putting on his transfer orders he would need to be on a locked unit and I said that is not fair. I told him this happened to my [Resident #2], my [Resident #2] didn't cause this. The RP said she was still waiting for the ADM to provide her something in writing related to a discharge.
An interview with the CEO of the company (with ADM present) on 08/24/23 at 11:11 AM revealed the facility dropped the ball and he apologized to the RP and stated Resident #2 should have been found sooner. The CEO stated the RP were incredulous on how Resident #2 had taken off the wander guard if no one saw him do it and he did not have the means to cut it off.
An interview with the ADM 08/24/23 at 11:15 AM stated he told the RP he had gone into Resident #2's room after the wander guard was removed (not date given) and did not see anything that could have cut a wander guard off and no one know how it happened or when. The ADM stated during a meeting that morning (08/24/23), he told the RP he would reach out to the company they purchased their wander guards from to see if there was a more tamper-resistant band, which he felt there would not be. The ADM stated for each instance of Resident #2 removing his wander guard, there were at least a couple of progress notes saying he removed it. The ADM stated in July 2023 was when he met with the RP and they decided to discontinue the wander guard. The ADM did confirm that the RP had asked to be present when Resident #2's wander guard was being placed on him prior to that, but he did not know if she was contacted. The ADM stated, She is saying it didn't happen, whether it is true or not, I can say. The ADM stated there was only one brand of wander guards that would work with the connectivity of the facility's system and the facility did try different straps (not documented in clinical chart) and the last time they tried to place a wander guard on him (did not know which staff tried), it was a tamper resistant one and he was still able to remove it, so when he called the supplier that morning to see if there were any other straps that could be more effective, they said no. The ADM confirmed no one had witnessed Resident #2 remove his wander guard, But he is a very resourceful man. The ADM was asked who applied the replacement tamper resistant wander guard on the resident a few months prior which did not work and he responded he did not know and he did not know if family was present for it. The ADM was asked if there were any incident reports from when Resident #2 was known to remove his wander guard and he responded no, but he thought the nurses wrote some notes about it. The ADM then stated when he had talked to the RP over the phone the morning of 08/24/23, she was did not want to re-traumatize Resident #2 and move him and because she was not in a rush to move him. The ADM stated, I said he could get out of the facility again and that safety took precedent of him having to be relocated more than once. She explained she was going to do it her way, I explained we would have to issue an emergency discharge notice and then she drove up here. I didn't get a chance to tell her that we were not kicking him out on curb right at that moment. The ADM said he then told the RP in a meeting on 08/24/23 that he would reach out to the wander guard provider and try to get a more tamper-resistant band, but he did not think there would be one. The ADM then stated, This is what may be triggered [the RP], I said there has been some uncooperation to facilitate timely discharge to another facility and I gave the example of today and yesterday when [RP] told the social worker [he/she] did not want him moved. [The RP] was being unreasonable. I did not provide [the RP] a written emergency discharge notice, I was giving [the RP] the courtesy of saying that was the direction we are heading, nothing has been issued yet. It has been verbally communicated, but [discharge notice] document has not been sent. The ADM stated they had not started the discharge process yet. The ADM stated, We don't know for sure if [Resident #2] is able to remove it or not [wander guard], even if he was allowed to stay, there would still be gaps in supervision where the nurses were not checking on him if he was not on 1:1 where he could exit from the facility, which puts us back at square one. The ADM the reason he told the RP it was going to be an emergency discharge was because he felt the RP understood post-elopement that the facility could not provide one-on-one placement. The ADM stated, So it had been four days and I just find out yesterday [the RP] is not open to a locked unit. Those are the only facilities that will accept this man. The ADM confirmed prior to the recent incident, Resident #2 had never exit-seeked before. The ADM stated, We don't give him another chance [to stay at the facility after he eloped] .
A follow up interview with the CEO on 08/24/23 at 11:20 AM revealed the facility was not doing anything other than putting outing feelers out there for possible placement, which he felt was being proactive about the situation.
An interview with the CEO on 08/24/23 at 11:29 AM revealed he and the ADM were trying to get in touch with the local Ombudsman because they wanted her professional judgement on Resident #2's safety and follow her recommendation and do the right thing for Resident #2. The CEO stated, We know this man is going to remove his wander guard and potentially elope because of the situation we are going through, so that logically tells us this is not the right place for him, now getting that through everyone's head, we are going to do 1:1 until we can get that through everyone's head. We have the right to do an emergency discharge for his safety. The CEO stated the only reason the facility started talking about an expedited discharge was because the RP had stated she was in no rush to find an alternate placement and was going against agreeing to place Resident #2 in a locked unit, Which we have determined is a safe placement for him.
An interview with ADON C on 08/24/23 at 2:36 PM revealed the facility did not ensure the safety of Resident #2. ADON C stated, As nurses, we are taught we make our rounds . truthfully, it is an error in our system.
An interview with the SW on 08/24/23 at 2:08 PM revealed she had not met Resident #2 yet and it was only her second week working at the facility. The SW stated from what she had heard, the facility had previously tried to place a wander guard on Resident #2 about five times and he cut them off himself but no one had seen him do it. The SW stated during a meeting that morning with the RP and ADM (08/24/23), the RP said she had been waiting to come up to the facility and place the wander guard on the resident herself. The SW did not know if she was ever allowed that opportunity and did not know if there were any incident reports each time the wander guard was removed. She stated she had not been involved with the RP and facility in any care plan meetings about the wander guard. The SW stated she talked to the RP the day before (08/23/23) because she needed permission from the RP to send clinicals to other facilities for placement and the RP told the SW that she was not in agreement and did not feel the resident needed to be in a locked unit. The SW stated the RP did not actually agree that clinicals could be sent to new facilities, but she did not tell me verbally to stop sending clinicals. The SW stated she gave the RP a list of all [hospital] contracted facilities and em[TRUNCATED]
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Pharmacy Services
(Tag F0755)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to provide pharmaceutical services (including procedures t...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to provide pharmaceutical services (including procedures that assure the accurate acquiring, receiving, dispensing, and administering of all drugs and biologicals) to meet the needs of each resident for one of ten (Resident #7) residents reviewed for pharmacy services.
The facility failed to ensure Resident #7 was administered his prescribed sliding scale insulin on 08/10/23 for 4PM and 9PM med pass when his blood sugar was elevated.
This failure could place residents at risk of damage to the nerves, blood vessels and organs, as well as put them at risk of harm due to not following doctor's orders as prescribed.
Findings include:
Record review of Resident #7's quarterly MDS assessment, dated 07/11/23, reflected he was a [AGE] year-old male who admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Resident #7's active diagnoses included diabetes (high blood glucose-too much sugar in the blood), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain). Resident #7 had no speech, hearing or vision issues and his BIMS score was 13, which indicated mild cognitive impairment. Resident #7 had no signs or symptoms of delirium, no negative mood issues, no verbal or physical behaviors and no rejection of care. Resident #7 required one person physical assistance for his ADLs, with the exception of eating which he was supervision only. He used a wheelchair for mobility and was occasionally incontinent of bowel and bladder.
Record review of Resident #7's care plan, dated 04/14/23 and last revised on 06/29/23, reflected The resident has a DX of Diabetes Mellitus II- Goal/Interventions: Diabetes medication as ordered by doctor. Monitor/document for side effects and effectiveness, Fasting Serum Blood Sugar as ordered by doctor. On 04/16/23, the care plan was revised to include, The resident has unplanned/unexpected weight gain r/t Overeating-Resident freely snacking on regular foods as well as family bringing in very large amounts snacks (ex: . 4boxes honey buns, large [NAME] butter wafers etc )
Record review of Resident #7's August 2023 physician orders reflected he was prescribed Insulin Lispro Injection Solution 100 UNIT/ML Inject as per sliding scale: if 0 - 150 = No insulin; 151 - 200 = 2 unit; 201 - 250 = 4 units; 251 - 300 = 6 units; 301 - 350 = 8 units; 351 - 400 = 10 units; 401 - 500 = 12 Above 500 notify MD, subcutaneously before meals (Start date 05/21/2023 through end date 08/13/2023).
Record review of Resident #7's August 2023 MAR reflected his blood sugar on 08/10/23 at 4:00 PM was 255 and at 9:00 PM it was 255. Both times, the nurse (RN J) documented a 5 which meant on the MAR key to Hold/See Nurses Notes.
Record review of Resident #7's nursing notes for 08/10/23 reflected the following entries:
-08/10/2023 07:00 Type: Nursing Progress Note: Patient stable with no signs of hypo/hyperglycemia [elevated and low blood sugar] noted. Uses a wheelchair for mobility. Patient left out on pass accompanied by brother in a stable condition. [e-signed by LVN H]
-08/10/2023 16:11 Type: Nursing Progress Note: Resident came back to the facility, in the company of the company. [e-signed by RN J]
-08/10/2023 21:04 Type: Nursing Progress Note: Resident blood sugar was 225mg/dl ; sliding scale insulin held r/t resident was asleep when this nurse checked blood sugar and unable to accept a meal or snack after sliding scale given which would result in low blood sugar. [e-signed by RN J].
Record review of Resident #7's blood sugar readings prior to 4:00 PM on 08/10/23 were:
08/10/2023 07:15 134 mg/dL
08/09/2023 21:58 250 mg/dL-Insulin was administered as ordered
08/09/2023 07:21 130 mg/dL
08/08/2023 21:25 350 mg/dL-Insulin was administered as ordered
08/08/2023 17:04 288 mg/dL-Insulin was administered as ordered
An interview with Resident #7's family member on 08/11/23 at 2:05 PM revealed he/she got a call from the facility on 08/08/23 and was told Resident #7 had to be rushed to the hospital ER because his blood sugar was low. The family member stated it was the third time Resident #7 had to be sent to the ER from the facility for blood sugar issues. The family member stated he/she felt the night staff were not checking Resident #7's blood sugar and would leave him unchecked until the next morning. The family member stated there were times at the facility where several other residents reported Resident #7 was out of it, but nursing staff at night just don't do their job, they are eating, talking on their phones and they don't have time. The family member stated when Resident #7 would try to go to the nurses' station to get his insulin and medication, they would tell him he did not need it yet.
An interview with ADON C on 08/11/23 at 2:26 PM revealed Resident #7 did not receive his sliding scale insulin on 08/10/23 for the 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM blood sugar check, nor was there any nursing documentation stating why the insulin was held. ADON C stated RN J should have documented if she was supposed to administer via sliding scale but held the insulin.
An interview with RN J on 08/11/23 at 4:55 PM revealed Resident #7 did not eat much, so when it was time to administer his sliding scale insulin on 08/10/23, she was nervous and held it. RN J stated she took Resident #7's blood sugar at 9:00 PM in the evening and it was 255. RN J stated, Well, I didn't give him insulin because he doesn't eat and at that time of night when I am going to leave, I didn't know what the situation was going to be, so my nursing judgment was to notify the doctor and hold the insulin. I called doctor and held it and said see other note but I had too many things going on and I forgot to put the note in the chart. RN J then stated, I didn't want him to go out to the hospital for low sugar. I bought him soda to get his vitals up a little bit because he won't eat. He will snack. I don't know if he ate dinner last night, he might have .I don't want him to go out again with sugar of 225. I guess should have given him his insulin and moved on. I felt if I gave it to him, the insulin, it would bottom him out because he doesn't eat and I didn't have time to go to [fast food resturant] and get him something. RN J the stated she had gone to get him [fast food resturant] a number of times on her shift because it is better than sending him out. RN J stated she did not want to jeopardize her nursing license and would rather give him fast food then have to send him out for low blood sugar because he was not eating. RN J stated, I wasn't going to take those chances. I saw him today and gave him a honey bun and he ate one of them. A good reading for me for him is 300 or higher .
An observation and interview with Resident #7 on 08/15/23 at 9:45 AM revealed he often went out with his brother during the day to hang out, watch old classic westerns and eat. When he got back to the facility, Resident #7 stated his lunch tray from earlier would usually still be in his room, so he would eat it and then eat dinner. He said he was eating just fine. Resident #7 stated he was frustrated because the facility was supposed to be providing him snacks at night because his blood sugar could run low overnight, but they were not. Resident #7 stated he had just been discharged from the hospital the week prior for low blood sugar and he did not feel like the facility was checking on his blood sugar enough. He stated the snacks stayed at the nurses' station and if he wanted any and was already in bed, usually around 8:00 PM, they did not bring him anything and he would have to go and get it. Resident #7 denied RN J ever brought him [fast food restaurant] to eat. He stated his family member sometimes brought him fast food or sometimes Resident #7 would order food to be delivered, but RN J never bought or provided him outside food. Resident #7 stated, [RN J] knows I eat my dinner. I eat everything. My appetite is good. Resident #7 expressed concern the facility nurses were administering insulin to him when he did not need it and withholding it when he did need it.
An interview with NP K on 08/15/23 at 12:55 PM revealed Resident #7 was a tough resident to see on her rounds because he was often out on pass with his family when she went to the facility for her NP visits. NP K stated Resident #7's blood sugar was uncontrolled and she had already talked to RN J about not giving him his sliding scale insulin on 08/10/23 when it was 250 because she was worried about his blood sugar going too low. NP K stated unless there was a hold order for the sliding scale insulin, RN J should have given it and made sure he ate something. NP K stated, If the sliding scale shows units needed, they need to be given . NP K did not recall getting a phone call from RN J that the insulin was held. NP K stated it was not RN J or any nurses' decision to make a nursing judgement on whether or not sliding scale insulin should be administered and did not agree a blood sugar over 300 was acceptable as RN J had stated. NP K stated not giving Resident #7 his insulin, could cause his blood sugars to spike up.
Record review of the facility's policy titled, Diabetes, revised November 2020, reflected, .Monitoring: .4. The physician will order desired parameters for monitoring and reporting information related to blood sugar management; .6. The staff and Physician will manager hypoglycemia appropriately.
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Medication Errors
(Tag F0758)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to ensure, based on the comprehensive assessment of a resi...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to ensure, based on the comprehensive assessment of a resident, that a resident who had not used psychotropic drugs were not given these drugs unless the medication was necessary to treat a specific condition as diagnosed and documented in the clinical record for one of six residents (Resident #1) reviewed for unnecessary medications.
1. The facility failed to ensure Resident #1, who had a diagnosis of dementia, was not prescribed an anti-psychotic medication (Seroquel) prior to determining if there were other causes for her behaviors.
2. The facility failed to ensure Resident #1 was prescribed Seroquel without adequate indications for its use.
3. The facility failed to monitor Resident #1's behaviors after she was prescribed Seroquel to evaluate its effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
These failures could place residents at risk for possible adverse side effects (including stroke, heart failure, fast/irregular heartbeat), adverse consequences (including increased risk of falls), and decreased quality of life.
Findings include:
Record review of Resident #1's quarterly MDS assessment, dated 06/21/23, reflected a [AGE] year-old female who was admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Her active diagnoses included non-Alzheimer's dementia (the loss of cognitive functioning-thinking, remembering, and reasoning), aphasia (loss of ability to understand or express speech), cerebrovascular accident (an interruption in the flow of blood to cells in the brain), multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves), anxiety [a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness], depression [Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness] and hypertension (is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high). Resident #1 had unclear speech, was usually understood by others and she sometimes understood others (responds to simple, direct communication only) and had a BIMS score of 07, which indicated severe cognitive impairment. Resident #1 had no signs or symptoms of delirium (inattention, disorganized thinking or altered level of consciousness), no mood issues, and no behaviors which included psychosis (hallucinations and delusions), no physical and verbal behaviors, no rejection or care or wandering. Resident #1 required limited assistance with her ADLs of one person and used a walker and wheelchair for ambulation. Resident #1 received antidepressant medication as the only psychoactive medication at the time of the MDS assessment and she was not on hospice care.
Record review of Resident #1's care plan, initiated 03/11/23 and last revised on 06/11/23, reflected she was at risk for harm directed to herself or others related to mood disorders secondary to clinical diagnosis of depression. Interventions were to Allow safe, personal space, If wandering or pacing, initiate visual supervision during acute episode, Minimize environmental stimuli, Monitor for cognitive, emotional or environmental factors that may contribute to violent behaviors, and Offer Resident acceptable alternatives to unacceptable situation. Resident #1's care plan did not include the use of an antipsychotic medication or any related behaviors/interventions.
Record review of Hospice Comprehensive Assessment and Plan of Care, dated 07/25/23, revealed Resident #1 was admitted to hospice on 03/17/23.
Record review of Resident #1's current physician orders for August 2023 reflected she was prescribed Seroquel Oral Tablet 25 MG (Quetiapine Fumarate), an antipsychotic, 0.5mg at bedtime for agitation related to unspecified psychosis (start date 07/27/23). Resident #1 was also prescribed Duloxetine (Cymbalta-antidepressant, start date 03/18/23) and she had an order through hospice for PRN Lorazepam 0.5 mg every six hours for anxiety (start date 03/17/23).
Record review of Resident #1's MAR for July 2023 and August 2023 reflected Seroquel was administered as ordered, with the exception of one day on 08/03/23 where the MAR was blank for the administration time. No PRN Lorazepam was documented as being given for anxiety from 07/27/23 through 08/15/23. Resident #1's MAR/TAR did not include any behavior monitoring or side effects for the use of Seroquel.
Record review of Resident #1's elopement evaluation, dated 07/11/23, reflected, Elopement Evaluation : History of elopement while at home: No. Wandering behavior a pattern or goal-directed: No. Wanders aimlessly or non-goal-directed: No. Wandering behavior likely to affect the safety or well-being of self / others: No. Wandering behavior likely to affect the privacy of others: No. Recently admitted or re-admitted (within past 30 days) and has not accepted the situation: No. Elopement Score: 0.0.
Record review of Resident #1's nursing progress notes, for 05/01/23 through 07/13/23, revealed no behaviors.
Record review of a nursing progress note dated 7/14/2023 at 11:15 PM, written by LVN A, reflected Nurse was notified of resident attempting to leave facility (front entrance). Resident stated I want to leave-why am I here nurse redirected the resident to the room, resident in bed. Nurse contacted hospice for PRN medication. All safety measures in place will continue to monitor.
Record review of Resident #1's MAR, for 07/14/23, revealed no PRN Lorazepam was administered that night on 07/14/23 (Resident #1 had a current order for it) and was never administered through 07/27/23.
Record review of a nursing progress note, dated 07/27/23 at 11:24 AM, written by LVN A, reflected, New order Seroquel 25mg 0.5 tab PO HS for agitation.
Record review of a nursing progress note written by the DON reflected, Effective Date: 08/14/2023: Received clarification order from [MD D] for DX: Unspecified Psychosis r/t Seroquel order.
Record review of Resident #1's clinical chart reflected no face-to-face visit by MD D or his nurse practitioner since he had been assigned as her primary attending physician on 07/31/23. There were no physician or nurse practitioner progress notes in Resident #1's chart prior to her being prescribed Seroquel in July 2023 and after she was started on it from 07/27/23 through 08/15/23. It was unclear how MD D would have known how to diagnose Resident #1 if there was no evidence he saw her face-to-face or reviewed her clinical chart.
An observation and attempted interview with Resident #1 on 08/15/23 at 10:08 AM revealed she was laying in bed and was soft-spoken when asked questions. She was not able to answer questions related to her mood or her use of Seroquel. Although she could speak, it was unable to be determined how much she understood of the questions being asked of her as her responses were limited and she just smiled.
An interview with Resident #1's RP was attempted twice on 08/15/23 at 10:54 AM and 11:00 AM and indicated the voicemail box was full. A voice mail message could not be left.
An interview on 08/15/23 at 12:25 PM with LVN A revealed she normally worked 6AM-2PM and she was the charge nurse for Resident #1 and received the order for her to be given Seroquel from the hospice nurse. LVN A stated from what she was told, Resident #1 was trying to exit seek at night and calling her family member asking them what was she doing there, yelling at the family member all night, waking them up, so the family member talked to hospice and requested something to help Resident #1 sleep or calm down. LVN A said she never saw Resident #1 try to exit-seek and if she did, it was only that one time and she was a sweet lady, so LVN A did not know if maybe the resident was trying to let someone in the door to the facility or trying to exit seek. LVN A stated, I think they assumed because she was up that one night confused and calling the [family member] non-stop, that was the only time I heard of that type of behavior. LVN A stated the hospice RN gave the order for Seroquel. LVN A stated she did not talk to the family member herself about Resident #1's behaviors and need for a new antipsychotic medication, she assumed the hospice RN was getting the consent completed. LVN A stated when a resident was administered an antipsychotic medication, the facility had to monitor their maladaptive behaviors and the charge nurse was supposed create the behavior monitoring log, which was part of the MAR/TAR process . LVN A stated now that Resident #1 was on Seroquel, I guess we are just watching agitation and anxiety, sleeping, up all night and exit seeking, making family calls .
An interview with CNA B on 08/15/23 at 1:30 PM revealed she was familiar with Resident #1 and stated, I guess she has outbursts or something like outbursts, I have seen her have one once. I don't remember when, but around this time of day, she was coming down the hallway, she was yelling something so the charge nurse helped me take her back to her room, we redirected her and she calmed down and was more understanding. I didn't go back to see what irritated her. CNA B said she had never seen Resident #1 try to elope from the nursing facility and that she did not push on doors that she had seen. CNA B stated, She is real sweet.
An interview with the DON on 08/15/23 at 2:19 PM revealed ADON C was the person who knew how to review the psychotropic medications prescribed/administered in the facility to ensure they were being monitored and met all HHSC requirements for unnecessary medications. The DON stated ADON C was starting to look over the facility's 24-hour reports and order listing reports and the e-charting clinical dashboard so they could see if there were any new psychotropic medications prescribed in the past seven days. She said going forward, nursing management was going to review those forms every morning and ensure any residents with a psychotropic medication had an appropriate diagnosis and if it were not appropriate, they would push back. The DON stated Resident #1's new attending physician, MD D, was contacted after the State Surveyor inquired about the use of Seroquel on 08/11/23 and he changed Resident #1's diagnosis for the use of the medication from agitation to psychosis. The DON stated he did not want to provide a different diagnosis because she was a new resident to him. The DON stated, We didn't want to ask for more than what he can do. The DON stated she received a clarifying order for the use of Seroquel from MD D and she did not think the hospice RN was the one who ordered the Seroquel. The DON said she contacted the hospice RN who stated they did not see where hospice prescribed Resident #1's Seroquel. The DON said she saw in Resident #1's hospice clinicals that she was having some behavioral issues. She said going forward, the facility was going to start requesting that any resident on an antipsychotic be seen by psychiatric services so they could oversee the GDR process to possibly move the resident to lower risk medications.
An interview with Hospice RN E on 08/17/23 at 1:09 PM revealed Resident #1's Seroquel was through the hospice doctor, but she was the one who gave the written order to the facility nurse LVN A. She said the reason was because Resident #1 had increased agitation, was trying to leave, calling and texting the family member and saying hateful things throughout the night. Hospice RN E stated she and the family member discussed possibly using an ankle monitor and the family member said okay but they could try a medication now. Hospice RN E said Seroquel was for agitation and it had been helpful since Resident #1 started taking it. Hospice RN E stated Resident #1 had a PRN order for Lorazepam in the hospice comfort kit and suggested the facility try it, but she was not sure if they did. Hospice RN E stated, I have a lot of patients on Seroquel, it is good for sundowning. We use it often and Haldol PRN. But she was every night having symptoms of agitation, so the use of PRN would have only lasted a couple hours; she needed something that was more for maintenance. Hospice RN E said when she visited the facility about two days prior to obtaining and order for Seroquel, she checked in with Resident #1's charge nurse who said everything was going good with Resident #1. Then two days later, the hospice office got a call from the facility and stated Resident #1 was trying to escape, but they had not told Hospice RN E about that when she was up there two days prior. Hospice RN E stated, But I was talking with the day nurse and the issues happened during the night, so maybe they didn't know at that time. Her behaviors had been slowly escalating and initially were not bothersome, then they got bad, and that is when I talked to the [family member] and she told me about the calls. So since it was bothersome to the [family member] and I didn't want the resident to feel like she was caged in the facility, I got an order for Seroquel.
Record review of Resident #1's hospice progress notes revealed Hospice RN E documented on 07/13/23 she did a routine face to face visit and Resident #1 was sleeping but aroused easily to name and voice, smiled at her and was pleasant, denied pain or being in distress. The note also documented Hospice RN E spoke with LVN A who denied any concerns. On 07/20/23, Hospice RN E documented Resident #1 was in her wheelchair in the dining room, alert and oriented to self, [LVN A] advised of patient increased agitation at night, re-enforced Lorazepam, will try tonight. On 07/27/23, Hospice RN E documented routine visit, Resident #1 was asleep in her room, awakened to voice and encouragement, denied pain and went to church after assessment, [LVN A] given new order for Seroquel 12.5 mg at HS.
An interview with MD D on 08/23/23 at 1:00 PM revealed he was the facility's medical director and he had recently been assigned Resident #1 to his caseload as her attending physician at the end of July 2023 and was not the prescriber of her Seroquel. He stated he talked to Resident #1's hospice nurse about two weeks ago and she told him there was a long-standing psychosis history which included hallucinations and delusional behaviors. MD D stated presently Resident #1 was suffering from dehydration and her mental status was altered for metabolic reasons. He stated, We use symptoms of agitation or delusional behavior, paranoid symptoms as part of psychosis but it is tricky, each facility likes it a little different, clinically, even I am a hospice director, we will use Seroquel for any sort of abnormal behaviors if underlying, but documentation should list the behaviors. MD D stated, Flip side [on the other hand] , Ativan, which is allowed, predispositions them to falling down. I think, in the long run, my hope and belief is low dose Seroquel is okay, outpatient doctors use it for sleep, anxiety, depression, bipolar. I do not hesitate to prescribe low dose for cardio issues, we are talking about 25-50 maybe milligrams, as long as they haven't had a recent stroke or TIA , something like that, I don't worry too much.
Record review of the facility policy titled, Antipsychotic Medication Use, revised December 2016, reflected, Policy Statement: Antipsychotic medications may be considered for residents with dementia but only after medical, physical, functional, psychological, emotional psychiatric, social and environmental causes of behavioral symptoms have been identified and addressed .1. Residents will only receive antipsychotic medications when necessary to treat specific conditions for which they are indicated and effective; 2. The attending physician and other staff will gather and document information to clarify a resident's behavior, mood, function, medical condition, specific symptoms, and risks to the resident and others .4. The attending physician and facility staff will identify acute psychiatric episodes and will differentiate them from enduring psychiatric conditions; .Diagnosis of a specific condition for which antipsychotic medications are necessary to treat will be based on a comprehensive assessment of the resident; 7. Antipsychotic medications shall generally be used only for the following conditions/diagnoses as documented in the record .: .f. Psychosis in the absence of dementia; .11. Antipsychotic medications will not be used if the only symptoms are one or more of the following: a. Wandering; b. Poor Self-care; c. Restlessness; d. Impaired memory; e. Mild Anxiety; f. Insomnia, g. Inattention or indifference ot surroundings; h. Sadness or crying .; i. Fidgeting; j. Nervousness; or k. Uncooperativeness; .16. The staff will observe, document, and report to the attending physician information regarding the effectiveness or any interventions, including antipsychotic medications.
Review of the facility's policy titled, Behavioral Assessment, Intervention and Monitoring, revised March 2019, reflected, .2. Behavioral or Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) described behavioral symptoms in individuals with dementia that cannot be attributed to a specific medical or psychiatric cause; a. Appropriate assessment and treatment of behavioral symptoms requires differentiating between behavioral symptoms that can be managed by treating underlying factors, and those that cannot; 3. Current guidelines recommend the use of non-pharmacological interventions for BPSD; .Monitoring: .4.a. The IDT will monitor for side effects and complications related to psychoactive medications; for example, lethargy, abnormal involuntary movements, anorexia, or recurrent falling.
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Laboratory Services
(Tag F0770)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review the facility failed to provide laboratory services to meet the needs of its residents for o...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review the facility failed to provide laboratory services to meet the needs of its residents for one of 10 residents (Resident #3) reviewed for laboratory services.
The facility failed to ensure Resident #3's Keppra lab was completed as ordered.
The failure could place residents at risk for delays in the provision of treatment for laboratory abnormalities and acute exacerbation of clinical conditions.
Findings include:
Record review of Resident #3's quarterly MDS assessment, dated 06/15/23, reflected a [AGE] year-old female who was admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Resident #3 had active diagnoses which included seizure disorder (a sudden alteration of behavior due to a temporary change in the electrical functioning of the brain), hypertension (when the pressure in the blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher)), stroke (occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts), dementia (the loss of cognitive functioning, thinking, remembering, and reasoning to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities) and depression (serious medical health disorder that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act). Resident #3 had a BIMS score of 08, which indicated she was moderately impaired.
Record review of Resident #3's care plan, date initiated 02/02/23 and last revised on 03/14/23, reflected she had a seizure disorder and her goal was to remain free from injury related to seizure activity through the next review date. Resident #3's care planned interventions were to give seizure medication as ordered by doctor, monitor/document side effects and effectiveness; obtain and monitor lab/diagnostic work as ordered; report results to MD and follow up as indicated.
Record review of Resident #3's current August 2023 physician's orders reflected she was prescribed Keppra Oral Tablet 500 MG (Levetiracetam) one tablet twice a day for anticonvulsants (start date 02/01/23). Resident #1 was also ordered, Keppra Level Q 3 month; Next lab Feb, May, Aug, November. (start date 03/12/23).
Record review of Resident #3's MARs from 03/01/23 through 08/22/23 reflected she was administered Keppra as ordered.
Record review of Resident #3's clinical record reflected no Keppra labs were completed after the order was written on 03/12/23.
Record review of Resident #3's nursing progress notes reflected she had no seizure activity since her admission to the facility on [DATE].
Record review of Resident #3's clinical record reflected only one visit from her attending physician (PHY CC) since admission, which occurred on 07/15/23, PHY CC did not review her Keppra lab(s) or lack thereof.
Record review of a change in physician form, dated 07/31/23, reflected Resident #3's RP gave consent to change her doctor from PHY CC to PHY BB.
Record review of Resident #3's MAR/TARs for March 2023 through August 2023 reflected there was an entry every month for Keppra Level q 3 month. Next lab Feb, May, Aug, November. None of the MAR were initiated that the lab had been completed.
An interview with the ADM on 08/22/23 at 4:50 PM revealed the previous DON was terminated the previous week and presently he had two ADONs assisting with clinical issues. He stated there were no Keppra labs available for Resident #3, but the facility was in the process of getting it done and had contacted MD D to get an order. The ADM stated he thought what happened was, when the facility switched over to a new e-charting system company in February 2023, the system did not pull over routine labs ordered and put it on the e-MAR. As a result, he thought the labs were not showing up on the e-MAR, which would mean the nurses would not have known to order a lab and put it on the lab requisition form.
An interview with Resident #3 on 08/23/23 at 9:25 AM revealed she did have a seizure when she first admitted to the facility but had not had one since, that she could remember. She stated she took medication to control her seizures.
An interview with LVN H on 08/23/23 at 10:00 AM revealed for routine labs, the nurse who received the order was supposed to fill out a form when the lab was initially ordered and fax it to the lab company so they could put it into their system. LVN H stated once the routine lab order was sent to the lab company, the nurse was then supposed to put a note on the 24-hour report that it was done and then from that point, the lab company would know when the lab was due on their end and at the same time, the nurses would see it as an order that popped up under the nurse MAR. LVN H stated any nurse could follow up on a lab, and when he came into work in the mornings, he usually looked at the labs that were completed and labs that needed to be followed up on. With Resident #3, LVN H stated he had just started working on her hall so he did not know what the nurses were doing before him. He stated the stat Keppra lab that had just been completed the day before, and the results came back on 08/23/23. LVN H stated the values were on the low side, but not critical. LVN H stated a low Keppra value meant there was not enough of the medication in Resident #3's system. He denied seeing Resident #3 have a seizure at the facility. LVN H stated he notified the doctor and was waiting for a call back on her abnormal Keppra lab.
An interview with ADON C on 08/23/23 at 10:10 AM revealed she was a newer hire at the facility from a month ago and was in the process of auditing labs and putting in new lab orders. She stated, for example, with Resident #3, the lab order was on her monthly MAR, but there was not an exact date specified to complete it on the MAR, all of the days on the MARs were crossed out with an X. ADON C stated Resident #3 had a stat Keppra lab completed the day before (08/22/23). ADON C stated, I think it is a consistency issue honestly . She said ADON I knew the building but she was recently a floor nurse, so ADON C was trying to show her the systems/processes and now the new DON was no longer employed. ADON C stated, I just don't think there great consistency in nursing management. ADON C stated the potential harm of not completing labs as ordered, in particular Keppra, was to make sure the medication was working appropriately and if not, the resident could be in harm's way with seizures and decrease of brain function. ADON C stated, So if we are not sure Keppra levels are not right, we could see increased activity [of seizures] . ADON C stated she talked to MD D and he told her he saw labs were not getting done across the board with residents at the facility. ADON C stated she assured him she was on it and started the lab auditing process.
An interview with MD D on 08/23/23 at 1:00 PM revealed he was the medical director and PHY BB was new to long term care, so he was helping her with the processes and protocols at the facility. MD D stated with Resident #3, he was not sure if she was on his new caseload or not. He stated about six months ago, one of the previous DONs asked him as the medical director if the facility could do routine labs for Keppra every three months. MD D stated he did not see the clinical benefit of doing it and told the DON it was okay with him, but the neurologist had told him they did not recommend routine Keppra labs and they should only be done based off if the resident was having seizure activity or side effects of the medication. MD D stated he reviewed the stat Keppra lab the facility had just completed for Resident #3 and stated, It came back low today. He stated he told the facility he would see her for a visit, but also once again, low doesn't mean too much to me unless she has had a seizure.
Record review of Resident #3's Keppra stat lab completed after State Surveyor intervention, on 08/23/23, reflected her therapeutic drug monitoring for levetiracetam (Keppra) was low at 6.6 (reference range is 10.0-40.0).
Record review of the facility's Lab and Diagnostic Test results-Clinical Protocol Policy, revised September 2012, reflected, 1. The physician will identify and order diagnostic and lab testing based on diagnostic and monitoring need.; 2. The staff will arrange for tests; 3. The laboratory, diagnostic radiology provider, or other testing source will report test results to the facility
CONCERN
(E)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Comprehensive Care Plan
(Tag F0656)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to develop and implement a person-centered comprehensive ...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to develop and implement a person-centered comprehensive care plan for each resident that included measurable objectives and timeframes to meet a resident's medical, nursing, mental and psychosocial needs that were identified in the comprehensive assessment for two (Residents #1 and #6) of ten residents reviewed for care plans.
1. The facility failed to develop a comprehensive person-centered care plan to address Resident #1's use of an antipsychotic medication-Seroquel, diabetes, insulin use and hospice care.
2. The facility failed to develop a comprehensive person-centered care plan to address Resident #6's seizures.
This failure could place residents at risk of not receiving individualized care and services to meet their needs.
Findings included:
1. Review of Resident #1's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE], reflected she was a [AGE] year old female admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Her active diagnoses included non-Alzheimer's dementia (the loss of cognitive functioning-thinking, remembering, and reasoning), aphasia (loss of ability to understand or express speech), cerebrovascular accident (an interruption in the flow of blood to cells in the brain), multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves), anxiety, depression and hypertension (is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high). Resident #1 had unclear speech, was usually understood by others and she sometimes understood others (responds to simple, direct communication only) and had a BIMS score of 07 which indicated severe cognitive impairment. Resident #1 had no signs or symptoms of delirium (inattention, disorganized thinking or altered level of consciousness), no mood issues, and no behaviors which included psychosis (hallucinations and delusions), no physical and verbal behaviors, no rejection or care or wandering. Resident #1 required limited assistance with her ADLs of one person and used a walker and wheelchair for ambulation. Resident #1 received antidepressant medication as the only psychoactive medication at the time of the MDS assessment and she was not on hospice care.
Review of Resident #1's care plan initiated 03/11/23 and last revised on 06/11/23 reflected four focus areas to include: 1) acute/chronic pain, 2) limited physical mobility due to MS, 3) a fall on 03/11/23, and 4) she was at risk for harm directed to herself or others related to mood disorders secondary to clinical diagnosis of depression. Resident #1's care plan did not include the use of an antipsychotic medication or any related behaviors/interventions. Her care plan also did not address her diabetes and use of insulin, or hospice needs/interventions.
Review of Hospice Comprehensive Assessment and Plan of Care dated 07/25/23 revealed Resident #1 was admitted to hospice on 03/17/23.
Resident #1's current physician orders for August 2023 reflected she was prescribed Seroquel Oral Tablet 25 MG (Quetiapine Fumarate), an antipsychotic, 0.5mg at bedtime for agitation related to unspecified psychosis (start date 07/27/23). Resident #1 was also prescribed Levemir Subcutaneous Solution 100 UNIT/ML (Insulin Detemir) Inject 10 units subcutaneously at bedtime for Diabetes (start date 06/22/23), Humalog Mix 75/25 Kwik Pen Subcutaneous Suspension Pen Injector (75-25) 100 UNIT/ML (Insulin Lispro Protamine & Lispro) Inject 20 unit subcutaneously two times a day for Diabetes (start date 03/20/23), Blood sugar AC and HS before meals and at bedtime (start date 03/19/23) and Glucagon Emergency Injection Kit 1 MG Inject 1 mg intramuscularly every 24 hours as needed for hypoglycemia (start date 03/20/23). Resident #1 also had an order to admit to hospice for a diagnosis of dysphagia (start date 03/17/23).
Review of Resident #1's MAR for July 2023 and August 2023 reflected Seroquel was administered as ordered, with the exception of one day on 08/03/23 where the MAR was blank for the administration time. Resident #1's insulin was administered according to doctor's orders.
An observation and attempted interview with Resident #1 on 08/15/23 at 10:08 AM revealed she was laying in bed and was soft-spoken when asked questions. She was not able to answer questions related to her mood or her use of Seroquel, hospice, diabetes or insulin. Although she could speak, it was unable to be determined how much she understood of the questions being asked of her as her responses were limited and she just smiled.
2. Review of Resident #6's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE] reflected he was a [AGE] year old male admitted to the facility on [DATE] and his active diagnoses included seizure disorder and dementia. Resident #6 had a BIMS score of 13 which indicated he was cognitively intact.
Review of Resident #6's care plan dated 08/11/23 and last updated on 08/15/23, reflected no discussion of his seizure disorder, seizure medication and related interventions.
Review of Resident #6's current August 2023 physician orders reflected, Lab-Carbamazepine and Keppra Level-Q3 months-next lab April, July, October-report findings to PCP (start date 03/12/23), Levetiracetam Oral Tablet 1000 MG (Keppra) give 1 tablet by mouth two times a day related to other seizures-(Give together with 500 mg tab to equal 1500 mg total dose), start date 07/17/23, and Levetiracetam Oral Tablet 500 MG (Keppra) give 1 tablet by mouth two times a day for seizures (give together with 1000mg for total dose of 1500 mg (start 07/17/23).
Review of Resident #6's July and August 2023 MAR/TAR reflected his Keppra was administered as ordered.
Review of Resident #6's nursing progress notes pertinent to his use of Keppra and his seizure disorder included:
-08/14/2023: Nursing Progress Note- resident had a seizure and fall hitting his head with injury he had hot coffee and spilled on upper torso [sic] and the other nurse stated coffee on face no redness, no blistering noted neuro checks started on resident. Resident was on his back when this nurse entered the scene. After assessment completed resident was assisted up from the floor and sat him in a chair he sat in chair for a short time than nurse assisted him to his room and completed another assessment head to toe no redness or blistering noted to skin. t97.6 r18 p104 02sat96%, b/p160/110. [MD D] was notified and new orders for stat lab received.
-08/14/2023: Nursing Progress Note- Notified [MD D] of CBC, Tegretol & Keppra results, KEPPRA level noted to be low; as per PCP, give 1GM, STAT and continue with same dose and notify DON to investigate why Keppra level is low.
An interview with Resident #6 on 08/15/23 at 12:40 PM revealed he remembered having a seizure but did not remember what happened. He said it had been a long time since he had one and he could usually feel them coming, like having a déjà [NAME] feeling.
3. An interview with LVN F on 08/11/23 at 3:46 PM revealed she was the MDS coordinator and care plans were based off the CAA triggers on the residents' MDS assessment and they were also care planned for any additional acute or routine issues. LVN F stated there had been a lot of nursing management turnover and the facility had gone through multiple ADONs and DONs in the past year. She stated the new DON had been at the facility for about a month and the administrator since June 2023. LVN F stated the facility had changed their computer system earlier in the year. LVN F stated, So with care plans, I can tell you care plans are an issue that we are actively trying to work, we recently switched from [previous online e-charting system] to [current online e-charting system] in [DATE] and when we transitioned, all of our long-term care residents here, their care plans were turned into PDFs and scanned into miscellaneous and goal was to get them done as quarterlies were due. We try our best to try on top but we have been pulled to nursing from MDS roles so that is why you may see that. LVN F stated MDS completed routine care plans and nursing was responsible for acute issues. LVN F stated care plans were an important tool to utilize how to manage residents' problems and issues and where to go to for interventions. She said anything triggered on the MDS from the CAA needed to be care planned, as well as any active medical diagnoses, behaviors, psyche meds, other meds like anticoagulants, diuretics, diabetic, and acute issues.
An interview with the DON on 08/11/23 at 2:19 PM revealed she know knew that management had spoken to corporate on getting all of the care plans handled and the company had switched e-charting systems in February 2023. The DON said they were going to have to come up with a plan to get all the residents' care plan caught up, including the routine ones that correspond with the MDS and the acute ones. The DON stated the importance of care plans was for IDT communication. She said she was not sure what needed to be care planned and would have to look at the regulations, but anything that placed a resident at higher risk, such as falls, certain medication would need to be care planned. The DON stated MDS wrote all care plans, routine and acute issues .
An interview with the ADM at 08/11/23 at 2:21 PM revealed he did not know about any care plan issues until a few days prior and one of his MDS nurses was on vacation, but he did have a corporate MDS person and she had been at the facility often, so he was not sure what happened.
4. A policy for care plans was requested on 08/11/23 but was not provided. A policy for baseline care plans only was provided.
CONCERN
(E)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0711
(Tag F0711)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure the physician reviewed the resident's total program of care,...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure the physician reviewed the resident's total program of care, including medication and treatments, at each visit and wrote, signed and dated progress notes at each visit for five (Residents #1, #3, #5, #9 and #10) of 10 residents reviewed for physician visits.
The facility failed to ensure there were physician progress notes available for Residents #1, #3, #5, #9 and #10 that were signed and dated by the physician(s) for each visit via the physical charts or electronic record. The physicians were, however, consulted about critical lab values and changes in condition.
These failures could place residents at risk of not receiving the appropriate care as ordered by the physician and a lack of oversight by the physician, which could place the residents at risk of harm and health decline.
Findings included:
1. Review of Resident #1's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE], reflected she was a [AGE] year old female admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Her active diagnoses included non-Alzheimer's dementia (the loss of cognitive functioning-thinking, remembering, and reasoning), aphasia (loss of ability to understand or express speech), cerebrovascular accident (an interruption in the flow of blood to cells in the brain), multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves), anxiety, depression and hypertension (is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high). Resident #1 had unclear speech, was usually understood by others and she sometimes understood others (responds to simple, direct communication only) and had a BIMS score of 07 which indicated severe cognitive impairment. Resident #1 had no signs or symptoms of delirium (inattention, disorganized thinking or altered level of consciousness), no mood issues, and no behaviors which included psychosis (hallucinations and delusions), no physical and verbal behaviors, no rejection or care or wandering. Resident #1 required limited assistance with her ADLs of one person and used a walker and wheelchair for ambulation. Resident #1 received antidepressant medication as the only psychoactive medication at the time of the MDS assessment and she was not on hospice care.
Review of Resident #1's care plan initiated on 03/23/23 and last revised 05/17/23 reflected only four care planned areas: 1) Risk for Harm: Self Directed or Other- Directed r/t Mood Disorders Secondary to clinical diagnosis of depression; 2) Acute pain/Chronic Pain; 3) Limited physical mobility related to multiple sclerosis; and 4) a fall on 03/11/23.
Review of Resident #1's face sheet dated 08/15/23 reflected her current physician was MD D as of 07/31/23. Prior to that date, her previous attending physician was noted in her chart to be PHY DD who was her physician since 03/09/23.
Review of Resident #1's clinical chart reflected no evidence of any visits or physician progress notes from PHY DD or subsequently MD D, since her admission to the facility.
Review of Resident #1's Hospice Certification and Plan of Care dated 03/17/23 reflected she entered into hospice on 03/17/23.
Review of Resident #1's nursing progress notes from reflected the following medical/health issues:
-03/18/23-Resident #1 had a critical lab for Potassium with a value of 6.6 (reference range is 3.5-5.1) and a Glucose value of 699 (reference range is 74-109). (Note: High potassium levels may be a sign of kidney disease; too much potassium may mean the kidneys are not working well; Blood sugar more than 600 can cause a coma. Dangerously high blood sugar levels cause ketoacidosis which is a serious diabetic complication where the body produces excess blood acids-ketones)
-06/11/23-Resident #1 had a fall which resulted her being sent to the ER. Resident #1 had a hematoma in the center of forehead her measuring 5x5 cm and under her right eye with a laceration measuring 3cm x 1 cm that was glued in the ER.
-06/11/23-Resident #1's blood sugar was noted to be 600, and her attending physician was notified (PHY DD) and stated to administer one time order of 3 units of insulin.
-07/14/23- Nurse was notified of Resident #1 attempting to leave facility (front entrance). Resident stated, I want to leave why am I here Nurse contacted hospice for PRN medication.
-07/27/23- Hospice RN ordered Seroquel for Resident #1 at bedtime due to agitation.
-07/31/23- A new order was received to change Resident #1's primary physician to MD D.
-08/07/23- Resident #1 was showing signs of hypoglycemia [low blood sugar] was sweaty and slumped over in her walker. A finger stick blood sugar reflected her blood glucose was 40.The nurse administered Glucagon 1mg IM. Resident #1 was able to get back to baseline and her fsbs was 87.
-08/17/23- Resident experienced change of condition (dizziness, slowly eating and speaking). MD order implemented for rehydration and insulin monitoring ongoing. Stat Cath UA, CBC, and CMP, Doxycycline 100 mg BID for seven days for Sepsis; IV NS @ 70 ML/Hr. x 3 liters.
Review of Resident #1's clinical chart reflected neither MD D or PHY DD wrote any progress notes over the course of her stay at the facility to show they were monitoring her health conditions and medications.
2. Review of Resident #5's annual MDS dated [DATE] reflected she was a [AGE] year old female admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Resident #5's active diagnoses included aphasia (loss of ability to understand or express speech), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties), vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain) and arm contracture (a condition of shortening and hardening of muscles, tendons, or other tissue, often leading to deformity and rigidity of joints). Resident #5 had unclear speech, was rarely understood and had short/long term memory deficits. Resident #5 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs and had range of motion impairment on one side of her upper extremity. She used a wheelchair for mobility.
Review of Resident #5's care plan care plan initiated 05/15/23 and last revised on 08/14/23 had three focus areas: 1) Resident #5 was resistive to care and would refuse care such as medications, ADL care, lab draws; 2) Resident #5 had an actual fall related to poor safety awareness and unsteady gait; and 3) Resident #5 used an anti-depressant.
Review of Resident #5's face sheet dated 08/15/23 reflected her current physician was PHY BB as of 07/31/23. Prior to that date, her previous attending physician was noted in her chart to be PHY DD.
Review of Resident #5's clinical chart reflected no evidence of any visits or physician progress notes from PHY DD from 03/21/23 to 08/01/23, when she was seen by her new doctor, PHY BB.
Review of Resident #5's nursing progress notes from reflected the following medical/health issue prior to PHY DD seeing her on 08/01/23:
-03/23/23-Resident #5 had a change of condition- She was noted to have numerous cavities to top and bottom teeth and was in pain. Resident #5 ended up having a dental infection and required antibiotics for ten days.
-04/20/23-Resident #5 noted to have decline in weight possibly indicating malnutrition. PHY DD notified received order for labs: CMP and Albumin.
-05/02/23- BMP results for Resident #5 provided to PHY DD who stated, Not bad but poor kidney function-no new orders.
-0709/23-Resident #5 fell in her room, no injuries.
-07/31/23-Resident #5's primary attending physician changed from PHY DD to PHY BB.
-08/05/23- Resident #5's new attending physician (PHY BB) ordered STAT - CBC and CMP
-08/06/23-Resident #5 had a critical calcium value of 5.9 and was sent to the ER for further evaluation and was diagnosed with a UTI.
Review of Resident #5's clinical chart reflected neither PHY DD did not write any progress notes over the course him being her attending physician from March 2023 through July 2023 to show he was monitoring her health conditions and medications.
3. Review of Resident #9's quarterly MDS assessment reflected he was a [AGE] year old male admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Resident #9's active diagnoses included Alzheimer's disease (A progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions), Parkinson's disease (a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination), insomnia (trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good quality sleep), essential tremors (a type of involuntary shaking movement), hyperlipidemia (An excess of fats or lipids in the blood), peripheral vascular disease (a slow and progressive circulation disorder) and anemia (a condition that develops when your blood produces a lower-than-normal amount of healthy red blood cells). Resident #9 had short/long term memory deficits and moderately impaired cognitive skills for daily decision making. Resident #9 had signs and symptoms of delirium as evidenced by continuously present inattention, as well as mood issues that involved trouble with concentration. Resident #9 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs, was always incontinent of bowel and bladder and used a wheelchair for mobility.
Resident #9's care plan dated 02/01/23 and last revised on 03/29/23, reflected the following care areas: 1) High risk for falls, 2) Requires staff assist for ADLs, 3) Behavior of sleeping on the floor, 4) Impaired cognitive function and thought processes due to dementia, 5) Diagnosis of hypertension related to lifestyle choices, 6) Use of anti-depressant medication due to sleep disturbances, 7) Resident is on anti-Parkinson medication therapy, 8) Risk of skin integrity impairment due to incontinence, and 9) Impaired visual function related to cataracts.
Resident #9's face sheet dated 08/15/23 reflected his current physician was PHY BB as of 07/31/23. Prior to that date, his previous attending physician was noted in his chart to be PHY DD.
Review of Resident #9's clinical chart reflected no evidence of any visits or physician progress notes from PHY DD from 03/01/23 to 08/01/23, when he was seen by his new doctor, PHY BB.
4. Review of Resident #10's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE], reflected she was a [AGE] year old female admitted to the facility on [DATE] with active diagnoses of macular degeneration [an eye disease that can blur your central vision], polyneuropathy [the simultaneous malfunction of many peripheral nerves throughout the body], peripheral vascular disease [reduced circulation of blood to a body part other than the brain or heart], hypertension [(high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher)] and hyperlipidemia [an elevated level of lipids- like cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood]. Resident #10 had a BIMS score of 10, which indicted no cognitive impairment. Resident #10 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs except eating, which she required supervision only. Resident #1 used a walker for mobility, had frequent pain present that was mild and was on a scheduled pain regimen. Resident #10 received a diuretic medication.
Review of Resident #10's care plan initiated and dated 08/11/23, reflected the following care areas: 1) Resident #10 had a diagnosis of hypertension, 2) Resident #10 had a diagnosis of hyperlipidemia, 3) At risk for falls related to vision/hearing problems and unsteady gait, 4) On diuretic therapy related to edema, 5) Potential for nutritional problem related to obesity, 6) Had chronic pain, 7) At risk for breakdown in skin integrity, and 8) Impaired visual function due to macular degeneration.
Resident #10's face sheet dated 08/15/23 reflected her current physician was PHY BB as of 07/31/23. Prior to that date, her previous attending physician was noted in his chart to be PHY DD.
Review of Resident #10's clinical chart reflected no evidence of any visits or physician progress notes from PHY DD from 03/01/23 to 08/01/23.
5. An interview with ADON C on 08/11/23 at 2:26 revealed she had been employed at the facility for a few weeks and she did not know how often the attending physicians were supposed to see their residents. She stated that usually MDS and medical records staff would remind the doctors when their visits were due. ADON C stated the importance of physician visits and documentation were to make sure the residents were being followed up on and medications were verified during those visits. She said the physicians were supposed review medication during their face-to face visits, make sure everything was good and that nothing was being missed and it also gave the resident a chance to talk to them directly. ADON C stated, It is critical.
An interview with MR on 08/11/23 at 4:22 PM revealed he had some issues with PHY DD and a couple other physicians getting his notes to the facility. MR stated he was supposed to reach out to PHY DD and he had been having some problems with him providing those progress notes from his visits. He said, So I guess when the new ADM started, I guess he got rid of them. MR stated he tried to keep track of the when each physician was due to visit and if he saw the physicians in the facility, he would get progress notes from some of them. He said there was one physician, an older doctor, who never gave the facility progress notes, he could not remember his name. He said he wanted to do all of his notes hand-written.
An interview with the ADM on 08/11/23 at 4:38 PM revealed when he started working at the facility (which he claimed was a month prior), he had heard through the DON that there were some doctors not turning in their notes or doing visits, so her terminated three of their contracts. He said he knew it was an issues and even though he was a newer Administrator, he was on it and the facility was trying to get new processes in place. The ADM stated he had not had a QAPI on that issue yet or completed a PIP, but he was working on it and knew it was already an issue.
Interview with NP K on 08/15/23 at 12:55 PM revealed she was the nurse practitioner for the medical director (MD D) and they had recently picked up about 25 residents on their caseload at the end of July 2023 due to some issues with the other attending physicians. She said she was still in the process of making sure everyone had been seen and reviewing orders and labs. NP K said she did not know what was going on with the other physicians and did not know about any concerns, only that they are gone and she and MD D have new residents as a result.
An interview with LVN H on 8/15/23 at 1:47 PM revealed he was told some of the attending physicians did not have residents on their caseload anymore, and he did not know why. He said that he did see them come out to visit their residents, including PHY DD. LVN H stated he did not know how the physician progress notes worked, some write it directly into the computer, some write their notes on paper and then all of them were supposed to turn them in and they went to medical records. LVN H stated the importance of having physician notes was to see if there were any new orders, see what was wrong with the resident and check for any new updates.
An interview with the ADM and DON on 08/15/23 at 2:19 PM revealed medical records staff was supposed to oversee the physician visits and ensure they were turning in their progress notes and completing their visits. She said as far as care issues and concerns, the DON would contact the doctor. The DON was not sure when the physicians were supposed to complete a face-to-face visit with their resident but stated that the three physicians who were transitioned away from working at the facility (which included PHY DD) had chronic issues and warnings from previous administrators and she and the current administrator inherited the issue. The DON said they had now switched over and between MD D and his NP K, who were in the facility once a week, they were getting everyone caught up on their visits and progress notes. The ADM stated that the physicians (to include PHY DD) did come to the facility, text and call the nurses, but the follow up was slower with the nurses and receiving orders. The DON then stated the risk of the physicians not visiting the residents face to face and providing progress notes at those visits was, Just poor outcome, not reviewing medications for necessary changes, not having progress notes for review, it could affect how the interdisciplinary team is approaching care. We need communication.
An interview with MD D on 08/23/23 at 1:00 PM revealed he was the medical director for about a year and he had been aware that the attending physicians were not keeping up, answering phone calls and the facility finally made the decision to dismiss three of them in July 2023 (to included PHY DD). MD D stated he would see the physicians in the facility, such as PHY DD and word of mouth is that they were seeing the residents, just not doing documentation, I don't know how they got paid. I was actually seeing them and saying hi to them and I wasn't aware of their lack of documentation., I heard through the grapevine one of the doctors has everything hand-written at home.
6. Review of the facility's policy titled, Physician Services, revised February 2021, reflected, .6. Physician orders and progress notes are maintained in accordance with current OBRA regulations and facility policy.
CONCERN
(E)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0712
(Tag F0712)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review the facility failed to ensure residents were seen by a physician at least once every 30 day...
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**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review the facility failed to ensure residents were seen by a physician at least once every 30 days for the first 90 days after admission, and at least once every 60 days thereafter or at the option of the physician, after the initial visit, alternate between personal visits by the physician and visits by a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist for four of 10 residents (Residents #1, #5, #9 and #10) reviewed for physician services.
1. The facility failed to ensure Residents #1 was seen one every 30 days for the first 90 days after admission.
2. The facility failed to ensure Residents #5, #9 and #10 were seen by the facility's attending physician and/or the physician's extender at least once every 60 days. The physicians were, however, consulted about critical lab values and changes in condition.
These failures could place residents at risk of not receiving appropriate and adequate medical care and a lack of oversight by the physician, which could place the residents at risk of harm and health decline.
Findings include:
1. Record review of Resident #1's quarterly MDS assessment, dated 06/21/23, reflected a [AGE] year-old female who was admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Her active diagnoses included non-Alzheimer's dementia (the loss of cognitive functioning-thinking, remembering, and reasoning), aphasia (loss of ability to understand or express speech), cerebrovascular accident (an interruption in the flow of blood to cells in the brain), multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves), anxiety [a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness], depression [Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness] and hypertension (is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high). Resident #1 had unclear speech, was usually understood by others and she sometimes understood others (responds to simple, direct communication only) and had a BIMS score of 07, which indicated severe cognitive impairment. Resident #1 had no signs or symptoms of delirium (inattention, disorganized thinking or altered level of consciousness), no mood issues, and no behaviors which included psychosis (hallucinations and delusions), no physical and verbal behaviors, no rejection or care or wandering. Resident #1 required limited assistance with her ADLs of one person and used a walker and wheelchair for ambulation. Resident #1 received antidepressant medication as the only psychoactive medication at the time of the MDS assessment and she was not on hospice care.
Record review of Resident #1's care plan, initiated on 03/23/23 and last revised 05/17/23, reflected only four care planned areas: 1) Risk for Harm: Self Directed or Other- Directed r/t Mood Disorders Secondary to clinical diagnosis of depression; 2) Acute pain/Chronic Pain; 3) Limited physical mobility related to multiple sclerosis [an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system)]; and 4) a fall on 03/11/23.
Record review of Resident #1's face sheet, dated 08/15/23, reflected her current physician was MD D as of 07/31/23. Prior to that date, her previous attending physician was noted in her chart as PHY DD.
Record review of Resident #1's clinical chart reflected no evidence of any physician or physician extender visits since her admission to the facility on [DATE].
Record review of Resident #1's August 2023 physician orders reflected she was prescribed the current medications while under PHY DD's medical care: Acetaminophen Rectal Suppository 650 MG one capsule rectally every six hours as needed for pain, B-Complex Oral Tablet one tablet by mouth one time a day for vitamin, Bisacodyl Rectal Suppository 10 MG one capsule rectally every 6 hours as needed for constipation, Donepezil HCl Oral Tablet 10 MG one tablet by mouth at bedtime for psychotherapeutic agent, Duloxetine HCl Oral Capsule Delayed Release Particles 30 MG three capsules by one time a day for depression, Ezetimibe Oral Tablet 10 MG one tablet a day for hyperlipidemia[an elevated level of lipids- like cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood], Levothyroxine Sodium Oral Tablet 75 MCG one tablet by mouth in the morning for hypothyroidism [A condition where the thyroid does not create and release enough thyroid hormone into your bloodstream which could make the metabolism slow down], [NAME]/SL Sublingual Tablet Sublingual 0.125 MG (Hyoscyamine Sulfate) Give one tablet sublingually every four hours as needed for oral secretions, Midodrine HCl Oral Tablet 5 MG (Midodrine HCl) Give one tablet by mouth three times a day for decreased blood pressure, Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution 20 MG/5ML 0.25 ml by mouth every three hours as needed for pain, Rosuvastatin Calcium Oral Tablet 20 MG one tablet by mouth at bedtime for treating high cholesterol, Seroquel Oral Tablet 25 MG 0.5 tablet by mouth at bedtime for agitation related to unspecified psychosis [a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality] , Tylenol Oral Tablet 325 MG give two tablets by mouth every six hours as needed for Pain, Vitamin D-3 Oral Tablet 125 MCG (5000 UT), Cholecalciferol one tablet by mouth one time a day for vitamin, and Zofran Oral Tablet 4 MG one tablet by mouth every six hours as needed for Nausea/Vomiting.
Record review of Resident #1's nursing progress notes reflected the following medical/health issues:
-03/18/23-Resident #1 had a critical lab for Potassium with a value of 6.6 (reference range is 3.5-5.1) and a Glucose value of 699 (reference range is 74-109). (Note: High potassium levels may be a sign of kidney disease; too much potassium may mean the kidneys are not working well; Blood sugar more than 600 can cause a coma. Dangerously high blood sugar levels cause ketoacidosis which is a serious diabetic complication where the body produces excess blood acids-ketones)
-06/11/23-Resident #1 had a fall which resulted her being sent to the ER. Resident #1 had a hematoma in the center of forehead her measuring 5x5 cm and under her right eye with a laceration measuring 3cm x 1 cm that was glued in the ER.
-06/11/23-Resident #1's blood sugar was noted to be 600, and her attending physician was notified (PHY DD) and stated to administer one time order of 3 units of insulin.
-07/14/23- [LVN A] was notified of Resident #1 attempting to leave facility (front entrance). Resident stated, I want to leave why am I here Nurse contacted hospice for PRN medication.
-07/27/23- Hospice RN ordered Seroquel for Resident #1 at bedtime due to agitation.
-07/31/23- A new order was received to change Resident #1's primary physician to MD D.
-08/07/23- Resident #1 was showing signs of hypoglycemia [a condition in which the blood sugar (glucose) level is lower than the standard range], was sweaty and slumped over in her walker. A finger stick blood sugar reflected her blood glucose was 40.The nurse administered Glucagon 1mg IM . Resident #1 was able to get back to baseline and her fsbs was 87.
-08/17/23- Resident experienced change of condition (dizziness, slowly eating and speaking). MD order implemented for rehydration and insulin monitoring ongoing. Stat Cath UA, CBC, and CMP, Doxycycline 100 mg BID for seven days for Sepsis; IV NS at 70 ML/Hr. x 3 liters.
2. Record review of Resident #5's annual MDS, dated [DATE], reflected a [AGE] year-old female who was admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Resident #5's active diagnoses included aphasia (loss of ability to understand or express speech), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties), vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain) and arm contracture (a condition of shortening and hardening of muscles, tendons, or other tissue, often leading to deformity and rigidity of joints). Resident #5 had unclear speech, was rarely understood and had short/long term memory deficits. Resident #5 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs and had range of motion impairment on one side of her upper extremity. She used a wheelchair for mobility.
Record review of Resident #5's care plan, initiated 05/15/23 and last revised on 08/14/23, had three focus areas: 1) Resident #5 was resistive to care and would refuse care such as medications, ADL care, lab draws; 2) Resident #5 had an actual fall related to poor safety awareness and unsteady gait; and 3) Resident #5 used an anti-depressant.
Record review of Resident #5's face sheet, dated 08/15/23, reflected her current physician was PHY BB as of 07/31/23. Prior to that date, her previous attending physician was noted in her chart to be PHY DD.
Record review of Resident #5's clinical chart reflected no evidence of any physician or physician extender visits from PHY DD from 03/21/23 to 08/01/23, when she was seen by her new doctor, PHY BB.
Record review of Resident #5's August 2023 physician orders reflected she was prescribed the following, current, medications while under PHY DD's medical care: Acetaminophen Tablet 325 MG give two tablets by mouth every four hours as needed for pain, aspirin 81 mg chewable once a day for heart disease, Atorvastatin 40 mg once a day for heart disease, Calcium-Cholecalciferol Oral Tablet 500-5 MG-MCG -one tablet one time a day for supplement, Clopidogrel 75MG one tablet once a day for Cerebrovascular disease, Magnesium oxide 400mg once a day for muscle wasting and atrophy, Melatonin Oral Tablet 5 MG (Melatonin) once at bedtime for insomnia, Nifedipine 60 mg ER on ce a day for hypertension, Pantoprazole Sodium 40 mg once in the morning for bacterial infection unspecified and Sodium Bicarbonate 650 mg twice a day for acid reduction.
Record review of Resident #5's nursing progress notes reflected the following medical/health issue prior to PHY DD seeing her on 08/01/23:
-03/23/23-Resident #5 had a change of condition- She was noted to have numerous cavities to top and bottom teeth and was in pain. Resident #5 ended up having a dental infection and required antibiotics for ten days.
-04/20/23-Resident #5 noted to have decline in weight possibly indicating malnutrition. PHY DD notified received order for labs: CMP and Albumin.
-05/02/23- BMP results for Resident #5 provided to PHY DD who stated, Not bad but poor kidney function-no new orders.
-0709/23-Resident #5 fell in her room, no injuries.
-07/31/23-Resident #5's primary attending physician changed from PHY DD to PHY BB.
-08/05/23- Resident #5's new attending physician (PHY BB) ordered STAT - CBC and CMP
-08/06/23-Resident #5 had a critical calcium value of 5.9 and was sent to the ER for further evaluation and was diagnosed with a UTI.
Record review of Resident #5's clinical chart reflected PHY DD did not write any progress notes over the course him being her attending physician from March 2023 through July 2023 to show he was monitoring her health conditions and medications.
3. Record review of Resident #9's quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE] reflected he was a [AGE] year-old male who was admitted to the facility on [DATE]. Resident #9's active diagnoses included Alzheimer's disease (A progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions), Parkinson's disease (a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination), insomnia (trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good quality sleep), essential tremors (a type of involuntary shaking movement), hyperlipidemia (An excess of fats or lipids in the blood), peripheral vascular disease (a slow and progressive circulation disorder) and anemia (a condition that develops when your blood produces a lower-than-normal amount of healthy red blood cells). Resident #9 had short/long term memory deficits and moderately impaired cognitive skills for daily decision making. Resident #9 had signs and symptoms of delirium as evidenced by continuously present inattention, as well as mood issues that involved trouble with concentration. Resident #9 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs, was always incontinent of bowel and bladder and used a wheelchair for mobility.
Record review of Resident #9's care plan, dated 02/01/23 and last revised on 03/29/23, reflected the following care areas: 1) High risk for falls, 2) Requires staff assist for ADLs, 3) Behavior of sleeping on the floor, 4) Impaired cognitive function and thought processes due to dementia, 5) Diagnosis of hypertension related to lifestyle choices, 6) Use of anti-depressant medication due to sleep disturbances, 7) Resident is on anti-Parkinson medication therapy, 8) Risk of skin integrity impairment due to incontinence, and 9) Impaired visual function related to cataracts.
Record review of Resident #9's face sheet, dated 08/15/23, reflected his current physician was PHY BB as of 07/31/23. Prior to that date, his previous attending physician was noted in his chart to be PHY DD.
Record review of Resident #9's clinical chart reflected no evidence of any physician or physician extender visits PHY DD from 03/01/23 to 08/01/23, until when he was seen by his new doctor, PHY BB.
Record review of Resident #9's August 2023 physician orders reflected he was prescribed the following current medications while under PHY DD's medical care: Folic acid 1 MG once a day, Magnesium Oxide 400MG once a day for anemia, Pravastatin Sodium 40GM once a bedtime, Ropinirole HCL 1 MG once at bedtime, Tamsulosin 0.4MG once a day for benign prostate, Trazadone HCl Oral Tablet 50 MG give 1.5 tablet by mouth at bedtime for insomnia, Vitamin D3 Oral Tablet 125 MCG once a day for anemia, and Carbidopa-Levo 25MG-100MG four times a day.
4. Record review of Resident #10's quarterly MDS assessment, dated 06/30/23, reflected she was a [AGE] year-old female who was admitted to the facility on [DATE] with active diagnoses which included macular degeneration [an eye disease that can blur your central vision], polyneuropathy [the simultaneous malfunction of many peripheral nerves throughout the body], peripheral vascular disease [the reduced circulation of blood to a body part other than the brain or heart], hypertension [when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher)] and hyperlipidemia [an elevated level of lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood] . Resident #10 had a BIMS score of 10, which indicted no cognitive impairment. Resident #10 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs except eating, which she required supervision only. Resident #1 used a walker for mobility, had frequent pain present that was mild and was on a scheduled pain regimen. Resident #10 received a diuretic medication.
Record review of Resident #10's care plan, initiated and dated 08/11/23, reflected the following care areas: 1) Resident #10 had a diagnosis of hypertension, 2) Resident #10 had a diagnosis of hyperlipidemia , 3) At risk for falls related to vision/hearing problems and unsteady gait, 4) On diuretic therapy related to edema, 5) Potential for nutritional problem related to obesity, 6) Had chronic pain, 7) At risk for breakdown in skin integrity, and 8) Impaired visual function due to macular degeneration.
Record review of Resident #10's face sheet, dated 08/15/23, reflected her current physician was PHY BB as of 07/31/23. Prior to that date, her previous attending physician was noted in his chart to be PHY DD.
Record review of Resident #10's clinical chart reflected no evidence of any physician or physician extender visits from PHY DD from 03/01/23 to 08/01/23.
Record review of Resident #10's August 2023 physician orders reflected she was prescribed the following current medications while under PHY DD's medical care: Preservision 1.25MG twice a day for dry eye, Senexon-S 8.6MG-50MG once a day, Tramadol 50 MG once every eight hours as needed for pain, Tylenol Oral Tablet 325 MG two tablets every four hours as needed for pain, Vitamin D3 Oral Capsule 50 MCG twice a day for vitamin deficiency, Acetaminophen PM Extra Strength Oral Tablet 500-25 MG two tablets at bedtime for pain, Amlodipine Besylate-Benazepril 5 MG-20 MG twice a day for hypertension, Biotin 5000MCG CAPSULE once a day for vitamin deficiency, HCTZ [Hydrochlorothiazide] 25MG once a day for edema, Lovastatin 40 MG once at bedtime for hyperlipidemia, and Neurontin Oral Capsule 100 MG (Gabapentin) two capsule by mouth three times a day for nerve pain.
An interview with ADON C on 08/11/23 at 2:26 PM revealed she had been employed at the facility for a few weeks and she did not know how often the attending physicians were supposed to see their residents. She stated usually MDS and medical records staff would remind the doctors when their visits were due. ADON C stated the importance of physician visits were to make sure the residents were being followed up on and medications were verified during those visits. She said the physicians were supposed review medication during their face-to face visits, make sure everything was good and nothing was being missed and it also gave the resident a chance to talk to them directly. ADON C stated, It is critical.
An interview with LVN F on 08/11/23 at 3:46 PM revealed she was the MDS coordinator and typically medical records oversaw the physician visits because that department received the physician notes directly, they had a link or an email and they could also e-fax them. LVN F stated the physicians were supposed to send in their notes and if a physician was late on a visit, medical records was supposed to contact them to get any progress notes or see if they visited their resident(s). She said if the physician was not visiting, the ADM should be notified. LVN F stated the risk of the physicians not completing their visits per the required timeframes could be an issue if medications were not being reviewed as needed. LVN F stated, Face to face visits are important because they need to lay eyes on their patients, for one to ensure, that is your patient and they are physically still here, but also to sit and visit to get their residents' input on their care. LVN F stated the facility had some issues with three physicians recently and they were let go.
An interview with MR on 08/11/23 at 4:22 PM revealed he had some issues with PHY DD and a couple other physicians getting his notes to the facility. MR stated he was supposed to reach out to PHY DD and he was having some problems with him providing those progress notes from his visits. He said, So I guess when the new ADM started, I guess he got rid of them . MR stated he tried to keep track of the when each physician was due to visit and if he saw the physicians in the facility, he would get progress notes from some of them .
An interview with the ADM on 08/11/23 at 4:38 PM revealed when he started working at the facility (which he claimed was a month prior), he heard through the DON there were some doctors not turning in their notes or doing visits, so the facility terminated three of their contracts. He said he knew it was an issues and even though he was a newer Administrator, he was on it and the facility was trying to get new processes in place. The ADM stated he had not had a QAPI on that issue yet or completed a PIP, but he was working on it and knew it was already an issue.
Interview with NP K on 08/15/23 at 12:55 PM revealed she was the nurse practitioner for the medical director (MD D) and they had recently picked up about 25 residents on their caseload at the end of July 2023 due to some issues with the other attending physicians. She said she was still in the process of making sure everyone had been seen and reviewing orders and labs. NP K said she did not know what was going on with the other physicians and did not know about any concerns, only that they were gone and she and MD D had new residents as a result.
An interview with LVN H on 8/15/23 at 1:47 PM revealed he was told some of the attending physicians did not have residents on their caseload anymore, and he did not know why. He said he did see them come out to visit their residents, including PHY DD .
An interview with the ADM and DON on 08/15/23 at 2:19 PM revealed medical records staff was supposed to oversee the physician visits and ensure they were turning in their progress notes and completing their visits. She said as far as care issues and concerns, the DON would contact the doctor. The DON was not sure when the physicians were supposed to complete a face-to-face visit with their resident but stated the three physicians who were transitioned away from working at the facility (which included PHY DD) had chronic issues and warnings from previous administrators and she and the current administrator inherited the issue. The DON said they had now switched over and between MD D and his NP K, who were in the facility once a week, they were getting everyone caught up on their visits and progress notes. The ADM stated the physicians (to include PHY DD) did come to the facility, text and call the nurses, but the follow up was slower with the nurses and receiving orders. The DON then stated the risk of the physicians not visiting the residents face to face and providing progress notes at those visits was, Just poor outcome, not reviewing medications for necessary changes, not having progress notes for review, it could affect how the interdisciplinary team is approaching care. We need communication.
An interview with MD D on 08/23/23 at 1:00 PM revealed he was the medical director for about a year and he was aware the attending physicians were not keeping up, answering phone calls and the facility finally made the decision to dismiss three of them in July 2023 (to included PHY DD). MD D stated he would see the physicians in the facility, such as PHY DD and word of mouth is that they were seeing the residents, just not doing documentation, I don't know how they got paid. I was actually seeing them and saying hi to them and I wasn't aware of their lack of documentation. I heard through the grapevine one of the doctors has everything hand-written at home .
Record review of the facility's policy titled, Physician Services, revised February 2021, reflected, .7. Physician visits, frequency of visits, emergency care of residents, etc., are provided in accordance with current OBRA regulations and facility policy.
CONCERN
(E)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Medical Records
(Tag F0842)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review the facility failed to ensure, in accordance with accepted professional standards and pract...
Read full inspector narrative →
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review the facility failed to ensure, in accordance with accepted professional standards and practices, maintain medical records on each resident that were complete, accurately documented, readily accessible; and Systematically organized for one of 10 residents (Resident #2) reviewed for clinical records documentation.
1. The facility failed to ensure the medication aide accurately documented medication administration in Resident #2's chart.
2. The facility failed to ensure the charge nurse accurately documented monitoring for signs and symptoms of exit seeking, wandering and other prescribed nursing observations for Resident #2.
This failure could place residents at risk of not receiving their medications at the prescribed times and outside of their therapeutic time effectiveness; it also placed other nursing staff at risk of being unaware and double dosing a resident with a medication, which could cause negative side effects and indicate a nursing task was completed for a resident when it was not done.
Findings include:
Record review of Resident #2's quarterly MDS assessment, dated 06/22/23, reflected a [AGE] year old male who was admitted to the facility on [DATE]. His active diagnoses included stroke (occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts), vascular dementia (problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain. Vascular dementia can develop after a stroke blocks an artery in your brain), dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and cognitive communication deficit (difficulty with thinking and how someone uses language). Resident #2 had no hearing, speech or vision issues, and his BIMS score was 08, which indicated he was moderately impaired cognitively. Resident #2 had no symptoms of delirium, no negative mood issues, no potential indicators of psychosis, no behavioral symptoms, no rejection of care and no wandering behaviors. Resident #2 required one person physical assistance for all ADLs, with the exception of eating, which he only required supervision. Resident #2 required one person physical assistance for transfers, bed mobility, walking in his room and in the facility per the MDS assessment. Resident #2 was not steady in his balance during transitions and walking, but able to stabilize without staff assistance. He did not have any range of motion impairments and did not use any mobility devices. Resident #2 was frequently incontinent of bowel and bladder. He required a mechanically altered diet and was administered antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Resident #2 did not have an alarm, which included any physical or electronic device that monitored his movement and alerted the staff when movement was detected, such as a wander guard.
Record review of Resident #2's nursing progress notes for 08/19/23 did not reflect he was missing or eloped from the facility.
Record review of the facility's incident for Resident #2, dated 08/20/23 at 12:10 PM reflected Incident description: Resident noted to be missing from room at approximately 12pm. Search conducted at facility. Admin notified ASAP. Approximately 6pm police notified facility that resident was found. Immediate Action Taken: Facility was searched and administration, responsible party, physician, DON, and VA notified. Police department notified. MD notified of missed medications, no new orders given. Upon return to facility, head to toe assessment and pain assessment done. Resident placed on one-on-one care, sitter at bedside.
Record review of Resident #2's August 2023 physician orders reflected he was prescribed for the 2:00 PM-10:00 PM shift the following medications: Atorvastatin Calcium Oral Tablet 40 MG one by mouth at bedtime for high cholesterol (start date 03/19/23), Donepezil HCl Oral Tablet 5 MG one tablet by mouth at bedtime for confusion (Start date 03/17/23), Mirtazapine Oral Tablet 7.5 MG (Mirtazapine) Give one by mouth at bedtime for depression (Start date 03/17/2023), Quetiapine Fumarate Oral Tablet 25 MG one tablet by mouth at bedtime for agitation/confusion (Start date 03/17/23) and Ramelteon Oral Tablet 8 MG one tablet by mouth at bedtime for insomnia (Start date 03/17/2023).
Record review of Resident #2's August 2023 med aide MAR on 08/19/23 reflected his bedtime medications were administered at 9:00 PM by MA R.
Record review of Resident #2's August 2023 physician orders reflected he was prescribed for the overnight shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM the following nursing tasks: Monitor for increased S/S of exit seeking and/or wandering every shift (Start 07/27/2023), Remove [NAME] Hose at bedtime (Start 03/23/2023), Monitor for side effects related to antidepressants (Change in mood, increased appetite, weight gain, fatigue, drowsiness, insomnia) every shift (Start date 03/19/2023) and Monitor for signs and symptoms of excessive bleeding or bruising due to anticoagulant therapy every shift (Start date 03/17/2023).
Record review of Resident #2's August 2023 nursing MAR/TAR on 08/19/23 into 08/20/23 reflected the charge nurse (LVN P) documented all physician-ordered nursing observations were made on the overnight shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
An observation of the facility video footage dated 08/19/23, at approximately 7:38 PM showed Resident #2 walking down the hallway casually towards the front lobby. DA M was also observed coming down a different hallway to the front entrance. No other staff, family members or residents were observed. DA M went to the keyed alarm panel to the left side of the front door and while she was putting in the code, Resident #2 walked towards her and was standing behind her. When she opened the door, she held it open for him and he walked out through the door after her. Then there was a second sliding door that automatically opened without a code and they both proceeded out of that door together out into the parking lot.
An interview on 08/22/23 at 10:29 AM with the ADM revealed there was incorrect documentation done at the end of the 2-10PM shift on 08/19/23. He said the medications for Resident #2 that were supposed to be administered at 9:00 PM were not given at that time because the medication aide [name unknown] stated the resident would not take his medication late at night and preferred having them at dinner time, so she gave them at 4:00 PM. The ADM stated he believed her and thought when it was the end of shift, she was just checking off the boxes of meds that were administered, but he was in the process of in-servicing staff about charting throughout their shift and not at the end.
An interview with LVN N on 08/22/23 at 11:09 AM revealed he was the weekend supervisor on 08/19/23 and he left the facility around 11:00 PM and was off work on 08/20/23. LVN N stated no one had mentioned to him that Resident #7 was administered his medications outside of the prescribed time frame . He stated, If that was the case, we could have gotten the doctor to change the times. She can't give them outside of the time frame, only one hour before or one hour after.
An interview with MA O on 08/22/23 at 12:52 PM revealed if a resident was not at the facility and it was time for medications to be administered, the med aide or nurse was supposed to document the resident was out of the facility, and they usually would complete a progress note. MA O stated resident medications could not be signed off as administered if they were not given at that time.
An interview with LVN P on 08/22/23 at 1:06 PM revealed she was an agency nurse who worked her first shift at the facility on 08/19/23 on the overnight shift for Resident #2's hall on the night he eloped earlier in the shift around 7:40 PM. LVN P stated she was not oriented to the residents nor did she have anyone round with her when her shift started. She stated she rounded on her own to make sure there was a body in the beds on her halls but did not enter the rooms or turn the lights on and assumed everyone was sleeping .
An interview with LVN Q on 08/22/23 at 1:41 PM revealed she worked a double shift from 6AM-10PM on 08/19/23 but did not have medications to pass as a nurse for Resident #2. She stated the medication aide (MA R) would have administered Resident #2 his medications on those shifts, but she never notified LVN Q that Resident #2 was unable to be located for med pass. LVN Q stated, The way I chart is I provide care before charting and I talked to the ADM about it and he corrected me about it. He wanted me to chart as I provide care, not after because typically I round and then when I get a chance I chart at the end of shift. I did not round with the agency nurse who relived me. Most times we do the report at the nurses station, but we don't go room to room.
An interview with MA R on 08/23/23 at 12:27 PM revealed she worked a double shift on 08/19/23 from 6AM-10PM and was in charge of passing medications for about 50 residents on four different halls. MA R stated no one notified her Resident #2 was missing and she remembered last seeing him around 4:00 PM between smoke break and dinner time because she saw him when dinner trays were coming out and a resident made a comment about his cowboy that he was wearing. MA R stated she told Resident #2 hello as she was wheeling another resident down the hall, and she had just administered Resident #2 his medications a few minutes earlier. MA R said the way she was trained was to give Resident #2 his medications when he was in a good mood, even if it was outside of his medication pass time and order time frame, because he tended to attack people and she was told he had balled up his first once to a staff in the past. MA R stated Resident #2 was usually in a good mood right after he ate dinner, so that was when she gave him his medications on 08/19/23, which was around 4-5PM, not at 9:00 PM as she had documented on his MAR/TAR. MA R stated the shifts she worked on 08/19/23 were very hectic because there was a State Surveyor in the building for an investigation and it was a frantic day just with charting and everything and the mistake I made was that on a few residents I didn't switch time to the time I administered. After 16 hours, I was spaced out. MA R stated once the situation came to light, she went to her ADON I and told her she thought she messed up and needed to double check and ADON I helped her correct it. MA R stated ADON I made her correct the time. ADON I stated she was not familiar with the facility's e-charting system and she made the comment that the order time should be changed, but when I was trained here they told me this just how they do it, I came here a month ago.
An interview with LVN H on 08/23/23 at 1:29 PM revealed clinical records needed to be charted in a timely manner He stated if a med aide or nurse tried to administer outside of the prescribed time frames, the system would tell them no, it was too early and then ask why and would tell them to write a progress note as to why it was needed to be given early. LVN H stated, Sometimes medication is on a therapeutic level so you may give too much if too close or too late and the level would not be therapeutic to the patient.
An interview with MA O on 08/23/23 at 1:54 PM revealed med aides had to chart what they did in real time, and if they had not done something, they could not chart ahead of time. Regarding medications for Resident #2 being given five hours too early but documenting they had been given at bedtime, MA O responded, That is not appropriate . if they were due at 9pm, we are supposed to give an hour earlier. Five hours earlier could tamper with absorption and not right for the patient, like if they give it and med is given every 12 hours, then the patient has to wait longer for the next dose, the medication may have worn off, so the intended effect may not happen. He stated the online charting system would not let a med aide or nurse enter a medication or treatment ahead of time.
An interview with MA W on 08/23/23 at 2:08 PM revealed med aides could give medications one hour before or after the prescribed administration time. He stated, You want to stay close to that time in case, you have to keep the timing correct. You can't give meds outside of that time frame. That could have side effects like certain meds and could interact, esp. like pain management, someone may get too drowsy or sleepy. We are not the only ones giving meds, nurses are giving.: MA W stated if the med aide needed to change administration hours due to resident preference, they needed to notify the nurse and the would call the doctor to get further orders .
Record review of the facility's policy titled, Charting and Documentation, revised July 2017, reflected All services provided to the resident, progress toward the care plan goals, or any changes in the resident's medical, physical, functional or psychological condition, shall be documented in the resident's medical record. The medical record shall facilitate communication between the interdisciplinary team regarding the resident's condition and response to care .2. The following information is to be documented in the resident medical record .b. Medications administered, c. Treatments of services performed.