Inspection Findings:
Based on interview and record review it was determined the facility failed to assess for care plan effectiveness, identify and implement new fall interventions and provide adequate supervision needed to prevent falls for 1 of 3 sampled residents (#8) reviewed for falls. This failure resulted in the resident having ten falls, two with serious injury including a head injury and fractured neck which required emergency medical services and treatment at the hospital. Findings include:
Resident 8 was admitted to the facility in 7/2019 with diagnoses including thoracic (mid-region of the spine) spinal compression fractures and rib fractures post fall, acute pain secondary to trauma and dementia.
Physician orders dated 7/25/19 indicated Resident 8 was prescribed Eliquis (anticoagulant medication which increases the risk of bleeding or delayed stopping of bleeding) twice daily.
The 7/2019, 8/2019 and 9/2019 MARs indicated Resident 8 received Eliquis as ordered.
A 7/25/19 Admission Nursing Assessment indicated Resident 8 had short and long-term memory problems and an inability to understand what was said. Resident 8 was a fall risk secondary to having previous falls prior to admission in the past two to six months resulting in fractures, taking three to four medications in the last seven days that increased fall risk and having dementia. Resident 8 was found climbing out of bed and had confusion and impulsivity.
The 8/1/19 Admission MDS revealed Resident 8 had a BIMS (Brief Interview of Mental Status) of five (severe cognitive impairment), required extensive assistance for most ADL care and required one to two-person assistance for walking and transferring.
The 8/1/19 Cognition, Fall and ADL CAAs indicated Resident 8 exhibited deficits in orientation and short term memory, had a history of falls with multiple fractures, was confused, incontinent, attempted to self-transfer to the commode and was at risk for falls.
Resident 8's Care Plan indicated the resident was at risk for falls related to weakness, impaired mobility, history of falls, dementia and decreased safety awareness. The following interventions were in place:
-Have commonly used items within easy reach: initiated on 7/25/19;
-Medication review with MD and Pharmacist: initiated on 7/25/19;
-Reinforce need to call for assistance: initiated on 7/25/19;
-Request therapy evaluation as appropriate: initiated 7/25/19;
-Wear non-skid shoes/slippers/socks: initiated 7/25/19;
-Commode next to bed: initiated 7/25/19;
-Leaving the room door open for increased visualization when not receiving care: initiated on 8/9/19;
-Seat in area of high visibility for supervision in wheelchair as allowed by resident: initiated 8/15/19;
-Provide visual prompts to ask for help: initiated 8/15/19.
From 8/7/19 through 9/9/19, Resident 8 experienced ten falls in the facility, two with serious injury requiring hospitalization.
-8/7/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found lying on the floor in Resident 8's room resulting in an abrasion. Furniture was scattered around the room and in Resident 8's way if self-transferring. Resident 8 continously self-transferred and was found in her/his room without using the call light prior to this fall and Resident 8's call light was not activated when Resident 8 was found. Resident 8 was determined to have poor self-awareness. The recommended plan indicated the facility would try to have a visual sign in Resident 8's room and the plan indicated without wearing glasses (Resident 8 did not have glasses), it may not be effective. Resident 8 continued with PT and OT services.
The fall care plan was updated 8/9/19 to leave Resident 8's door open when not receiving care.
-8/11/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 had an unwitnessed fall and was found on the floor in front of the bedside commode due to self-transferring to the commode resulting in a head injury requiring hospitalization. Resident 8 was known to have a history of falls and impulsive behaviors. Resident 8 was unable to remember to use the call light. The recommended plan indicated Resident 8's family was to spend more time in the facility to help supervise and family was to provide a private caregiver.
No new fall care plan interventions were put in place.
-The 8/14/19 Hospital Discharge Summary indicated Resident 8 was at risk for falls when unsupervised.
-8/15/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found on the floor on the fall mat in Resident 8's room. Resident 8 was known to self transfer to the toilet with or without using the walker. The family provided effective supervsion when at the facility. Resident 8 was unable to use the call light, pulled off non-skid socks and visual prompts were not effective since Resident 8 did not see well enough or read them. The recommended plan indicated the family was to spend more time in the facility to help supervise and family was to provide a private caregiver.
The fall care plan was updated to seat Resident 8 in high visibility area and use visual prompts to ask for help.
-8/16/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found on the floor in Resident 8's room due to ambulating without assistance. Resident 8's call light was not activated and Resident 8 was unable to remember to use the call light. The family provided effective supervision when at the facility. The recommended plan indicated the family was to spend more time in the facility to help supervise and family was to provide a private caregiver.
No new fall care plan interventions were put in place.
-8/17/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found on the floor in Resident 8's room after the resident attempted to self-transfer; the resident got up often and had multiple falls the past three days. Resident 8's call light was not activated and the resident did not use the call light. The recommended plan indicated the family was to spend more time in the facility to help supervise and family was to provide a private caregiver.
No new fall care plan interventions were put in place.
-8/25/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found on the floor in the hallway. Resident 8's call light was not activated. Resident 8 often got up, unassisted, and did not use the call light. Resident 8's family was not spending more time in the facility and did not hire a caregiver. The recommended plan indicated the family and staff would monitor Resident 8 as much as possible, interventions were slightly helpful and Resident 8 was expected to continue to get up unassisted due to decreased cognition and understanding.
No new fall care plan interventions were put in place.
-9/1/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found on the floor in the hallway after falling from her/his wheelchair. The recommended plan indicated to continue with the care plan to avoid injury and falls as able. Interventions in place were somewhat effective. Resident 8 continued to self-transfer to the commode.
No new fall care plan interventions were put in place.
-9/6/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found crawling on the floor in Resident 8's room. Resident 8 was on a toileting schedule with little to no improvement in preventing falls and the resident had increased behaviors over the past day. Resident 8 had multiple falls in the facility and was up within minutes of anyone leaving Resident 8's room or sight. The interventions in place were somewhat effective. Resident 8 often got up, unassisted, and did not use the call light. The recommended plan was to have the physician review medications on 9/9/19.
No new fall care plan interventions were put in place.
-9/8/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found on the floor in the resident's room after falling from the wheelchair. Resident 8 did not use the call light and got up often, unassisted. The family visited daily for a few hours. While at the facility, Resident 8 was encouraged to be in her/his room with family or staff present or in the hallway or rotunda for high visibility. Resident 8 was expected to continue to have falls and the facility would attempt to reduce falls/injury as able.
No new fall care plan interventions were put in place.
-9/9/19 Fall Risk Assessment indicated Resident 8 was found on the floor in Resident 8's room after getting up from her/his wheelchair and ambulating, unassisted, resulting in hospitalization for a fractured neck. Resident 8 did not return to the facility.
The facility failed to implement new care plan interventions and re-assess current interventions to ensure Resident 8 was adequately supervised and her/his falls were unavoidable. Resident 8 experienced ten falls from 8/7/19 to 9/9/19, and on 8/11/19 and 9/9/19, Resident 8 fell sustaining a head injury and then a fractured neck.
On 7/15/21 at 5:49 PM, Witness 2 (Family) reported Resident 8 experienced multiple falls during her/his stay at the facility and felt the falls were preventable had staff watched Resident 8 more closely.
On 7/16/21 at 12:24 PM, Staff 4 (CNA) stated she recalled Resident 8 and Resident 8 had her/his bed in the lowest position, fall mats and a bedside commode. Staff 4 stated Resident 8 was unable to use her/his call light, the family visited frequently and, to her knowledge, no other fall interventions were in place. Staff 4 stated the facility did not provide one on one supervision to residents.
On 7/16/21 at 1:22 PM, Staff 5 (RN) reported the facility did not use any type of personal alarms and was not equipped to provide one on one supervision. Staff 5 recalled Resident 8 and stated she would have changed staffing to increase the number of CNAs on the hallway and moved Resident 8's room closer to the nursing station in order to increase supervision of Resident 8.
On 7/19/21 at 11:11 AM, Staff 25 (CNA) stated when residents were fall risks, the facility did not use personal alarms or provide one on one supervision but she would try to be with residents as much as possible because she had seen many falls and worried about the residents.
On 7/19/21 at 5:30 PM, Staff 9 (Former Licensed Nurse) reported Resident 8 often got up and ambulated, unassisted, and interventions were not working. Staff 9 stated Resident 8 would have benefitted from one to one supervision, it was a rigorous process to get approval and approval was rarely granted.
On 7/20/21 at 1:02 PM, Staff 2 (DNS) confirmed Resident 8 was prescribed an anticoagulant which increased the risk for head injury or bleeding with falls. Staff 2 confirmed new interventions were updated to the care plan on 8/9/19 and 8/15/19 and verified no other fall interventions were added. Staff 2 acknowledged the facility was required to provide the level of supervision a resident needed to keep them safe and stated the facility was unable to accommodate one on one supervision. Staff 2 stated if one on one supervision was needed the facility required the family to increase their time at the facility or hire a caregiver and if a resident did not have family the facility would attempt to get volunteers, engage the resident in more activities and look at placing the resident in a different setting or discharging the resident home with the family.
On 7/23/21 at 8:57 AM, Staff 1 (Administrator) reported the team attempted to monitor residents as much as possible. Staff 1 stated if residents required one on one supervision they would request the resident's family or friends provide the supervision or hire a caregiver and if the resident had no family or friends the facility would not be able to meet that resident's needs and would look at a different placement. Staff 1 stated in rare situations, if the behaviors posed enough of a risk, one on one supervision might be approved. Staff 1 reported the administrator approved all one on one supervision.
Plan of Correction:
What corrective action(s) will be accomplished for those residents found to have been affected by the deficient practice?
Resident 8 has discharged from the facility.
How the facility will identify other residents having the potential to be affected by the same deficient practice and what corrective action will be taken.
All residents who are high risk of falls are potentially impacted by this citation.
Individualized care plans for current residents with falls in last 90 days, will be reviewed to ensure appropriate interventions including adequate supervision for fall prevention are in place.
What measures will be put into place or what systematic changes will you make to ensure that the deficient practice does not recur?
Nursing staff and IDT team, will be in-serviced on the care planning process, including but not limited to evaluating effectiveness of current interventions, identifying, and implementing new fall prevention strategies and recommendations for adequate resident monitoring to prevent falls based on a resident centered approach.
How the facility plans to monitor its performance to make sure that the solutions are sustained.
DNS or designee will audit care plans of all residents with falls, weekly X 4 weeks. Audit results will be reviewed at Quality Assurance meeting for compliance and any further recommendations for monitoring as necessary.
Date corrective action will be completed:
Corrective action will be completed by September 11th, 2021.