Failure to Accurately Document Restraints for Justice Involved Residents
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that resident assessments accurately reflected the residents' status, specifically for 13 Justice Involved Residents. Observations during an Abbreviated Survey revealed that 12 residents were wearing two-foot-long restraints around their ankles, and one resident had a wrist cuffed to their bed rail. However, the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments for these residents did not document the use of restraints, indicating a failure to properly assess and record the residents' conditions. This oversight was a violation of the residents' rights and the facility's policies regarding the use of restraints. The facility's policy on the Minimum Data Set requires adherence to guidelines for accurate resident assessments, including the documentation of physical restraints. Despite this, the MDS for Justice Involved Residents did not reflect the use of restraints, as Section P under Physical Restraints was left blank. The facility's policy on the use of restraints states that they should only be used for the safety and well-being of residents, with a physician's written order, and after other alternatives have been tried unsuccessfully. However, the facility did not conduct pre-restraining assessments or develop restraint care plans for these residents. Interviews with facility staff revealed a misunderstanding regarding the responsibility for documenting restraints. The Director of Nursing stated that the facility informed the Federal Bureau of Prison that it is a restraint-free facility, but the Bureau enforced restraints for security reasons. The Minimum Data Set Coordinator also stated that the restraints were not considered as such because they were imposed by the Department of Correction, not the facility. This misinterpretation led to the omission of restraint documentation in the MDS, contributing to the deficiency.
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