Inspection Findings:
Based on interview and record review it was determined the facility failed to ensure a change of condition was addressed for 1 of 2 residents (#202) reviewed for weight loss and dehydration. This failure resulted in Resident 202 experiencing dehydration and weight loss resulting in hospitalization. This failure placed other residents at risk for weight loss and dehydration. Findings include:
The 10/2017 Resident Hydration and Prevention of Dehydration Policy indicated:
1. The dietician would assess all residents for hydration adequacy and more often as clinically deemed necessary.
5. If potential inadequate intake and/or signs and symptoms of dehydration were observed, intake monitoring will be initiated and incorporated into the care plan.
b. The physician would be notified.
7. The dietitian, nursing staff, and the physician would assess factors that may be contributing to inadequate fluid intake. Orders for medications that may exacerbate dehydration (i.e. diuretics) would be reviewed and held if medically necessary.
The 3/2015 Nutrition & Hydration: Weight Systems Policy indicated:
6. weekly reweighs are indicated when a weekly weight change +/- 3% or greater is identified. Reweighs should be conducted at the time the change is first identified.
a) The DNS, Resident Care Manager (RCM), or Designee will review the final weight prior to CNA entry into POC (electronic health system).
7. Residents identified with weekly weight change will be reviewed by the nurse through the weights and vital portal. RCM would review 24-hour report and discuss at morning meeting.
The 3/2018 Acute Condition Changes- Clinical Protocol Policy indicated:
3. Direct care staff would be trained to recognize subtle but significant changes in the resident (for example, a decrease in food intake ...) and how to communicate those changes to the nurse.
8. The nursing staff would contact the physician based on the urgency of the situation.
9. The attending physician would respond in a timely manner to notification of problems or changes in condition and status.
Resident 202 admitted to the facility on 12/23/21 with diagnoses including dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, UTI, pneumonia, and metabolic encephalopathy (global brain dysfunction).
The resident's daughter was listed as her/his power of attorney for care.
The 12/16/21 Hospital History and Physical indicated Resident 202 had no edema, weighed 144 pounds (BMI 19.53), and "general appearance: healthy."
The 12/23/21 Admission Orders indicated Resident 202 received Lasix (diuretic) 40 MG daily.
A 12/23/21 Diet Order indicated the resident required nectar thick liquids and a soft, bite sized diet texture.
The 12/23/21 Care Plan did not indicate the resident was at risk for weight loss or dehydration.
The 12/29/21 Admission MDS indicated Resident 202 was moderately cognitively impaired, was on a diuretic, had an urostomy, and had medically complex conditions. Section K (swallowing disorder) indicated the resident was on a mechanically altered diet due to difficulty chewing and swallowing, was 72 inches tall and weighed 120 pounds, had a weight loss of over 5% in the last month, and was on a medically prescribed weight-loss regimen.
Review of the 12/2021 and 1/2022 MARs and TARs indicated Lasix was administered daily and there was no evidence the resident received a scheduled fluid/hydration pass or scheduled nutrition supplements.
Speech Therapy Notes from 12/2021 through 1/2022 indicated the following:
*12/28/21: Resident refused all solid intake trials. During liquid trials, as the session progressed, resident had reflexive throat clearing and wet vocal quality, suspect due to fatigue from functional intake.
*12/29/21: Resident 202 was assessed for tolerance of thin and mildly thin liquids due to ongoing complaints by the resident and daughter regarding dry mouth and fear of dehydration. The resident refused all solid intake requesting only coffee and eventually agreed to a double serving of a health shake. The resident was noted as moderately responsive to strategies yet "minimal buy-in for purpose of skilled intervention or increased PO intake to maximize recovery."
*12/30/21: Resident refused intake options, but eventually agreed to a sandwich with milk and water and had slow, effortful chewing suspect due to fatigue.
*12/31/21: Resident 202 tolerated one out of three trials of thin liquids and during combined trials of chili and a milkshake the resident increased overall nutritional intake. The daughter reported concern over decreased nutritional intake.
*1/1/22: Dysphagia treatment provided in room at bedside and in dining room to maximize potential in presence of significant weakness/fatigue and increase opportunities for hydration. Oral care was initiated to decrease dry mouth. Resident had dry sticky oral cavity, not much improved following oral care, and weak, wet vocal quality prior to intake. CNA agreed to initiate frequent oral swabs for hydration. Resident with limited intake and refused continued trials due to fatigue.
*1/3/22: Resident found slumped in chair with inadequate breath support for speech. Unable to self-correct posture, demonstrated decreased swallowing abilities with all trials. Unsafe to continue, rapidly declining throughout session. Resident sent to emergency department at end of session.
The Weights and Vitals Sheets were reviewed from 12/2021 through 1/2022 and indicated Resident 202's weight in pounds:
*12/24/21: 126.8
*12/25/21: 126.2
*12/26/21: 125
*12/27/21: 121.8
*12/28/21: 121.4
*12/29/21: 120.2
*12/30/21: 121.4
*12/31/21: 118.6
*1/1/22: 118
*1/2/22: 115.8
*1/3/22: 114.2
The Meal and Fluid Monitoring Task Sheets for 12/2021 and 1/2022 indicated fluid intake totals recorded for the day in milliliters (mLs) (average amount of fluids per day is 3700 mLs per Mayo Clinic):
*12/24/21: 718
*12/25/21: 720
*12/26/21: 956
*12/27/21: 840
*12/28/21: 1250
*12/29/21: 688
*12/30/21: 598
*12/31/21: 780
*1/1/22: 518
*1/2/22: 100
*1/3/22: 0
The House Health Shake Task Sheets for 12/2021 through 1/2022 indicated the resident was offered a 118 mL shake BID. The documented amount of the health shake the resident consumed in mLs daily was:
*12/24/21 AM: 118, PM: 60 = 178 total
*12/25/21 AM: 0, PM: 0 = 0
*1/26/21 AM: 118, PM: 118 = 236
*1/27/21 AM: 0, PM: 118 = 118
*1/28/21 AM: 50, PM: 120 = 170
*1/29/21 AM: 118, PM: 30 = 148
*1/30/21 AM: 118, PM: 0 = 118
*1/31/21 AM: 120, PM: 0 = 120
*1/1/22 AM: 118, PM: 30 = 148
*1/2/22 AM: 0, PM: 0 = 0
*1/3/22 AM: 0
The Meal and Fluid Monitoring Task Sheets for 12/2021 and 1/2022 indicated the amount of each meal consumed (if less than 50% staff were to offer the resident a replacement meal, such as a health shake):
*12/24/21 Breakfast: 51-75%, Lunch: 0-25% with 0% meal replacement consumed, Dinner :76-100%.
*12/25/21 Breakfast: 76-100%, Lunch: 26-50%, Dinner: 51-75%.
*12/26/21 Breakfast: 51-75%, Lunch: 26-50% with 0% meal replacement consumed, Dinner: 51-75%.
*12/27/21 Breakfast: 76-100%, Lunch: 26-50% with 0% meal replacement consumed, Dinner: 51-75%.
*12/28/21 Breakfast: 76-100%, 26-50% with 30% meal replacement consumed, Dinner: 76-100%.
*12/29/21 Breakfast: 51-75%, Lunch: 0-25% with 100% meal replacement consumed, Dinner: 26-50% with 0% of meal replacement consumed.
*12/30/21 Breakfast: 51-75%, Lunch: 51-75%, Dinner: 26-50% with 0% of meal replacement consumed.
*12/31/21 Breakfast: 51-75%, Lunch: 51-75%, Dinner: 0-25% with 0% replacement meal consumed.
*1/1/22 Breakfast: 25-50% with 90% replacement meal consumed, Lunch: 51-75%, Dinner: 0-25% with 30% meal replacement consumed.
*1/2/22 Breakfast: 0-25% with 0% replacement meal consumed, Lunch: 0-25% with 0% replacement meal consumed, Dinner: 0-25% with 0% replacement meal consumed.
*1/3/22 Breakfast: 0-25% with 0% replacement meal consumed.
The Urine Output Monitoring Task Sheets for 12/2021 through 1/2022 indicated output totals in mLs for each day:
*12/24/21: 1075
*12/25/21: 1150
*12/26/21: 1250
*12/27/21: 1200
*12/28/21: 1040
*12/29/21: 1075
*12/30/21: 825
*12/31/21: 875
*1/1/22: 925
*1/2/22: 750
Progress Notes reviewed from 12/2021 through 1/2022 indicated:
*12/29/21 at 2:35 PM Resident 202's primary care physician approved diagnoses for oropharyngeal dysphagia and diagnoses "at risk for malnutrition per MDS assessment."
*12/29/21 at 10:21 PM Resident 202's daughter called concerned regarding today after lunch the resident vomited. The resident told his daughter that she/he vomited and swallowed her/his
vomit and the daughter was concerned regarding aspiration. The nursing assessment was within normal limits. A note was placed in Staff 15's (Medical Director) folder.
*12/31/21 at 8:05 PM Nurse walked past Resident 201's room and noticed vomit on the floor. Per CNA the resident ate 25% of dinner and the resident's daughter around 3:00 PM brought in a bowl of chili and a strawberry shake. Per the daughter the resident ate two-thirds of the soup and the whole shake. Resident stated she/he was very tired and used "much energy when vomited." On-call provider notified and aware resident was high aspiration risk and ordered Zofran (anti-nausea medication).
*1/2/22 at 13:19 PM Skilled Evaluation note indicated on the "Nutrition" portion of the evaluation that the resident did not have a cough, took nutrition and hydration orally, had no complaints of thirst, no signs/symptoms of a swallowing disorder, and mucous membranes were moist.
*1/2/22 at 5:44 PM completed by Staff 13 (LPN) indicated Resident 202's daughter called and was concerned about the resident's dry mouth. The resident's daughter had talked to her/him yesterday [1/1/22] on the phone and could hear how dry it was and was concerned about the resident's weight decrease and the Lasix medication he/she was on. Resident 202's daughter was worried the resident was dehydrated and wanted her/him to be on IV (intravenous) fluids. Staff informed Resident 202's daughter that the resident had a video appointment on 1/4/22 with the resident's primary care provider and the daughter was informed she was welcome to join to address her concerns. The note further indicated a fax was left for Staff 15 (Medical Director) to "possibly" address concerns.
The Skilled Evaluation Progress Notes were completed daily from 12/24/21 through 1/2/22 and had the same wording for the "Nutrition" section of the assessments indicating no concerns related to dehydration and no signs/symptoms of a swallowing disorder.
A 1/2/22 Provider Fax was sent to Staff 15 (Medical Director) by Staff 13 that noted "Per daughter, resident has really bad dry mouth and [was] possibly dehydrated. [He/she] is on thickened liquids. Also concerned about weight decrease and being on Lasix 40 mg daily. She is wanting patient to have IV fluids to help with dehydration. Please advise." On 1/4/22 (two days later) a response was documented by the on-call provider and noted "hospitalized for COVID."
Hospital Records were received on 4/19/22 for Resident 202's hospital admission from 1/3/22 through 1/12/22. The 1/3/22 admission records indicated the following:
*The resident had respiratory distress, dry mucous membranes, and the resident was weak and lethargic.
*CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel) lab results indicated creatinine (measures how well kidneys are functioning) was 3.89 mg/dL (normal range: 0.74 to 1.35 mg/dL) and hypernatremia (too much sodium in the blood related to a lack of fluids) was at 159 mmol/l (hypernatremia defined as serum sodium levels >145 mmol/l).
*Started on D5 (Dextrose 5%) drip (used to treat dehydration or nutritional support for people unable to eat) 75 ml per hour.
*Diagnoses included: COVID-19, severe protein calorie malnutrition, BMI (Body Mass Index) <16, acute kidney injury, and hypernatremia, likely due to dehydration with poor intake. Noted minimal to no fluids past several days, improving with IVF (intravenous fluids).
On 4/12/22 at 11:54 AM Witness 2 (Family Member) stated she visited Resident 202 at the facility the day after admission [12/24/21] and the resident stated her/his mouth was dry and did not like the thickened liquids. Witness 2 stated the resident complained daily about thirst and difficulty swallowing. Witness 2 stated she was concerned as the Resident received Lasix and had no intake of fluids. Witness 2 stated on Sunday (1/2/22) she called the facility about re-evaluating the resident and the nurse stated it was difficult to get a hold of the resident's doctor and the resident's vitals did not indicate the resident was dehydrated. Witness 2 stated on Monday (1/3/22) she was informed the resident was being sent to the hospital. Witness 2 stated at the hospital Resident 202 could not talk, her/his potassium was high, her/his tongue was shriveled, and she/he was malnourished, severely dehydrated, and had COVID-19.
On 4/12/22 at 2:16 PM Staff 3 (Speech Therapy) stated from what she could recall about Resident 202, the resident had "really poor recall" and required re-education about thickened liquids. The resident requested only coffee and refused all solid intake. Staff 3 reported providing the resident a double health shake due to the resident not eating and she/he was eventually agreeable to the double-serving. Staff 3 stated every therapy session she provided repeated teaching about intake, strongly encourage PO trials as the resident was forgetful. Staff 3 confirmed on 1/1/22 the resident had a dry, sticky oral cavity, weak vocal quality, and poor intake.
On 4/13/22 at 1:09 PM Staff 15 (Medical Director) stated he participated in weekly clinical meetings with facility, which included weight loss. Staff 15 stated certain cases had parameters for weights and the facility would review those as well. Staff 15 stated if a resident experienced a change of condition, he would expect the facility to notify the medical provider "right away." For potential dehydration, Staff 15 stated he would expect the provider to be notified so labs could be ordered to confirm. Staff 15 reviewed the 1/2/22 fax and stated based on the wording of the fax the expectation was for staff to have notified the provider by phone.
On 4/14/22 at 1:44 PM Witness 3 (Regional RD) stated the facility designated RD no longer worked for the facility. Witness 3 stated the process was if significant weight loss triggered on point click care (healthcare software) then the resident care managers would review and discuss and clear the weights the next day and notify the RD of a weight loss of 3% in one week, 5% in one month, 7.5% in three months, and 10% in six months. For hydration, nursing staff were to monitor and document the hydration status and let the RD know the intake. Witness 3 stated the RD was not notified of the resident's weights or hydration status.
On 4/15/22 at 12:20 PM Staff 12 (CNA) stated what she could recall of Resident 202 was she/he was on thickened liquids, was "very weak" and "so skinny", and staff had to provide the resident with health shakes as she/he did not "eat a lot." Staff 12 stated if a resident did not eat well for one meal she would report to a nurse and would provide a resident with a health shake. Staff 12 further stated if a resident was not receiving enough fluids, she would inform a nurse.
On 4/18/22 at 2:08 PM Staff 13 (LPN) stated Resident 202 resided at the facility for a week and could not recall specifics and did not recall the resident experiencing a change of condition. Staff 13 stated she received a call from the resident's daughter regarding dehydration and stated she was able to give the resident fluids after the call, but she/he did not like thickened liquids. Staff 13 stated she gave the resident two glasses of the thickened liquid and wet her/his lips with oral swabs. Staff 13 stated she assessed Resident 202 per the resident's daughter's concerns, but did not document the assessment. Staff 13 stated she was unaware of the resident's weight and stated, "we nurses do not keep track." Staff 13 stated she faxed the on-call provider regarding the concerns, but the resident's "blood pressure was normal, so she did not call the provider." Staff 13 further stated if she felt the resident was declining and refusing fluids, she would have called the provider.
On 4/19/22 at 11:55 AM Staff 11 (RNCM) stated if a resident was showing signs and symptoms of dehydration an assessment would be conducted by charge nurse and if findings were consistent the medical provider would be contacted. Based on the provider's response, labs and a hydration pass would be initiated. Staff 11 reviewed the 1/2/22 Fax and stated she would expect the nurse to document an assessment, the resident to be placed on alert charting, and if the resident was not on a fluid restriction, the resident would be started on a hydration pass. Staff 11 confirmed the resident had signs and symptoms consistent with dehydration based on review of the Speech Therapy notes. Staff 11 stated the RD performed assessments of residents on admission but acknowledged there was no assessment for Resident 202. Staff 11 stated Resident 202 had a previous RNCM that no longer worked at the facility but weights that were triggered in the electronic health record were to be reviewed and if the resident lost 3-5% in a week, and the medical provider and dietician would be notified. Staff 11 stated per review of Resident 202's records, she would expect the provider to be notified of a change of condition on 12/27/21 as Resident 202 experienced an almost four-pound weight loss and the weights were tapering down. Staff 11 confirmed there were no notes regarding Resident 202's weight loss and acknowledged the resident's meal intake declined beginning 12/29/21. Staff 11 stated CNAs record residents' meal intake and if a resident ate less than 50% of their meal, staff would offer meal replacement and if the resident declined the meal intake, CNAs were to notify the nurse and then notify the doctor.
On 4/19/22 at 2:31 PM Staff 14 (CNA) stated she recalled working with the resident on 1/2/22 and the resident was not eating or drinking. Staff 14 stated the resident was very lethargic and tired and when she offered the resident food, she/he turned it away. Staff 14 stated she informed a nurse but could not recall which nurse. Staff 14 stated she was "pretty positive" the nurse assessed the resident, but Staff 14 had to remind the nurse "a couple" of times as it was a Sunday, and the facility was limited on CNA staff. Staff 14 stated she sat in Resident 202's room and offered fluids, but the resident drank a "very minimal" amount, so the nurse stated they would try again at lunch. Staff 14 stated the resident did not eat or drink much at lunch, so she informed the nurse again and was unsure what happened after.
On 4/19/22 at 12:23 PM and at 2:49 PM Staff 2 (DNS) and Staff 7 (Regional RN) stated if a resident had diagnoses of an UTI and dysphagia and was on aspiration precautions with thickened fluid the expectation would be that potential for dehydration and weight loss would be on the care plan. Staff 2 stated the resident was on a diuretic, which was why the resident was coded on the MDS for a prescribed weight loss regimen. Staff 2 stated the RNCMs were responsible for monitoring weight loss and would expect a note in the resident's chart to indicate if the weight loss that triggered was planned. A progress note indicated emesis on 12/31/21, so Staff 2 stated the expectation would be a note indicating weight loss and discussion of the emesis. Staff 7 confirmed the Progress Note on 1/2/22 contradicted the Speech Therapy Note on 1/1/22 and the Hospital Records from 1/3/22 indicating the resident had signs and symptoms of dehydration and was not consistent with the daughter's and staff concerns. Staff 2 and Staff 7 acknowledged Resident 202's meal and fluid intake and weights declined and the provider was not notified of a 9.94% weight loss (indicating severe weight loss) and dehydration symptoms, and conditions were not addressed prior to the resident being hospitalized on 1/3/22 and diagnoses with hypernatremia and severe protein calorie malnutrition.