F0740 F740: Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
J

Failure to Monitor and Assess Resident Leads to Tragic Outcome

Norwalk Skilled Nursing & Wellness Centre, LlcNorwalk, California Survey Completed on 09-20-2024

Summary

The facility failed to provide necessary behavioral health care and services to a resident diagnosed with depression and a history of suicidal ideation. The resident exhibited significant changes in behavior, including crying spells, accusations of poisoning, and expressions of fear and anxiety. Despite these clear indicators of a change in condition, the facility staff did not initiate continuous assessment or close monitoring of the resident's behavior, mood, cognition, hallucinations, delusions, or suicidal ideation. The staff also failed to notify the resident's primary care physician of these changes, which was a critical oversight given the resident's mental health history. The resident's care plan, which included monitoring for changes in behavior and mood, was not followed. The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) did not complete a change of condition assessment when the resident exhibited paranoid behavior and verbalized fears of being poisoned. The Social Services Director (SSD) also did not review the resident's history of suicidal ideation or complete necessary assessments, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), within the required timeframe. These lapses in care and communication contributed to the resident's deteriorating mental state. Ultimately, the resident was found deceased in the bathroom, having committed suicide. The facility's failure to adhere to its policies and procedures for resident safety, including the lack of a comprehensive assessment and monitoring plan, directly contributed to this tragic outcome. The staff's inaction and failure to communicate significant changes in the resident's condition to the appropriate medical personnel were critical deficiencies that led to the resident's death.

Removal Plan

  • The DON provided 1:1 education to LVN 1, CNA 1, Registered Nurse Supervisor, LVNs, and CNAs on the Change of Condition (COC) process, with emphasis on assessment and close monitoring of residents with changes in behavior, mood, cognition, hallucinations, delusions, and suicidal thoughts, disruptive vocalizations, and difficulty sleeping.
  • Ensured a COC assessment is completed for residents having a change in behavior, including paranoid behavior, verbalization of hurting self, hallucinations, delusions, disruptive vocalizations, yelling, and difficulty sleeping.
  • Staff were educated to monitor, document, and report as necessary any change in resident's behavior, mood, cognition, hallucinations, delusions, and suicidal thoughts, and to notify the physician of the COC.
  • Provided education on non-pharmacological interventions for residents with depression, including removing stressors, offering food and beverages, increasing therapeutic activities, psychosocial support, encouraging family involvement, and other interventions to ensure a safe environment.
  • Educated staff on informing the physician and responsible party when a resident has a COC in behavior, mood, delusions, hallucinations, and suicidal thoughts, and on recognizing residents who are depressed and have a history of suicidal ideation.
  • Provided education on behavior management and suicide prevention.
  • The Administrator provided 1:1 in-service education to the Social Services Director (SSD) regarding completion of assessments, including PHQ-9, following the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual guidelines.
  • The DON/designee conducted an audit of current residents with diagnoses of serious mental illness to determine residents who have had a change in behavior, mood, cognition, hallucinations, delusions, or current/history of suicidal ideations or suicide attempt, ensuring assessment, close monitoring, COC completion, care plan initiation, physician notification, and SSD assessments are completed.
  • SSD conducted an audit of current residents with diagnoses of serious mental illness, identified residents with changes in mood, ensured assessment by licensed nurse, COC completion, physician notification, and completed PHQ-9 assessments for all identified residents with depression.
  • The DON/Designees conducted interviews of current interviewable residents to identify any potential changes in behavior or mood.
  • The DON/Designee provided in-service education to staff on Behavior Management/Suicide Management.
  • The DON/Designee initiated in-service education to department heads and staff regarding policies and procedures for Behavior/Psychoactive Medication Management, Change of Condition Notification, Behavior - Threats to Harm Self, and Comprehensive Care Planning.
  • The Regional Social Service Consultant provided in-service education to the Social Service Designee on the Policy and Procedure titled Social Service Assessment and Social Service Program, emphasizing the importance of completing required Social Service Assessments, including the PHQ-9 per regulatory guidelines.
  • The Administrator and DON will present the results of the Admission/Readmission, and Change in Condition Audits, and Resident Interviews to the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Committee for review and recommendations until substantial compliance is achieved.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0740 citations
Failure to Implement Psychiatric Recommendations and Update Behavior Care Plan Leading to Resident Altercation
G
F0740 F740: Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
Short Summary

A resident with impulse disorder, mood and anxiety diagnoses, and a history of escalating verbal and physical aggression had multiple documented incidents of threats, object throwing, and assault with a cane. Despite a psychiatric consult recommending PRN trazodone for agitation, anxiety, and insomnia, the provider order listed insomnia only, and the care plan was not updated with specific interventions to address the resident’s physically aggressive behaviors after several documented events. Subsequently, the resident struck another resident with a cane, causing a facial laceration that required wound closure and ongoing treatment.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Implement Behavior Monitoring for Exit-Seeking Resident
D
F0740 F740: Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
Short Summary

A resident with a history of cerebral infarction and cognitive communication deficit was care planned as being at risk for elopement due to confusion, inability to express needs, and repeated statements about wanting to leave and go home. Interdisciplinary documentation described a consistent pattern of exit-seeking behaviors, including leaving on LOA with a family friend and not returning until the next day, requiring EMS assistance and hospital evaluation upon return, and later being found off facility grounds along a roadside. Despite these ongoing behaviors and the facility’s written Behavior Management Program requiring monitoring forms for residents with problematic behaviors, the clinical record contained no behavior tracking or monitoring specific to the resident’s exit-seeking behaviors, and staff acknowledged that such monitoring should have been in place.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Initiate Behavioral Health Response During Verbal Escalation Leading to Resident Assault
D
F0740 F740: Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
Short Summary

A resident with schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression, who had a history of negative behaviors and identified triggers such as rude or "mouthy" people, became involved in a verbal argument with another cognitively intact resident in a dining area. Staff present were aware of this resident’s triggers and care-planned coping strategies but only reminded the other resident not to throw a drink and did not initiate the facility’s behavioral health response (Code [NAME]) or actively use non-pharmacological interventions at the start of the escalation. After repeated verbal warnings, the second resident threw a drink, prompting the first resident to get up and repeatedly strike the other in the face, causing visible bruising to the nose and forehead before staff separated them and called a Code [NAME].

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Provide Behavioral Health Services for Residents With Self-Harm and Aggressive Behaviors
J
F0740 F740: Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
Short Summary

The facility failed to provide necessary behavioral health care and services for two residents with known self-harm and aggressive behaviors. One resident with quadriplegia, depression, anxiety, and a documented history of self-mutilation by finger biting had repeated episodes of biting his/her fingers to the point of severe lacerations, bone exposure, and eventual amputation, often linked to frustration and delayed smoking. Despite multiple hospitalizations and clear documentation of chronic self-harm and disruptive behavior, the care plan initially lacked self-injury interventions, no specific safety plan or intensive/1:1 monitoring was implemented, and there was no documented ongoing notification of psychiatry or the primary physician about escalating behaviors. Staff interviews showed that many staff knew of the resident’s chronic self-mutilation and verbal aggression but were unaware of any special interventions or monitoring requirements, and the resident was left alone in the room, hall, and on the patio, where another finger was bitten off. Another resident with aggressive behavior and repeated pulling of the fire alarm also lacked documented individualized behavioral interventions or psychiatric follow-up, contrary to the facility’s own Behavioral Emergency and Intensive Monitoring policies.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Provide Trauma Evaluations and Effective Behavioral Health Interventions
E
F0740 F740: Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
Short Summary

The facility failed to provide necessary behavioral health services, including trauma evaluations and meaningful interventions, for several residents involved in physical altercations and with significant psychiatric histories. After two residents were physically assaulted by roommates and sustained injuries, psychiatric providers were notified but did not document trauma-focused evaluations or address contributing behaviors such as wandering. Two other residents with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, violent behavior, and documented noncompliance with psychotropic medications were involved in repeated aggressive incidents toward peers and staff, yet records showed only routine refusals of medication without evidence of effective, individualized behavioral interventions. The facility acknowledged a high-behavior population and a pattern of resident altercations, along with dissatisfaction with the psychiatric NP’s limited and delayed evaluations.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Provide Behavioral Health Services for Depressed Resident Leading to Suicide Attempt
D
F0740 F740: Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
Short Summary

A resident with major depressive disorder, anxiety, and multiple psychotropic medications had documented moderately severe depression on PHQ-9 and MDS assessments, along with care plans that listed psychiatrist consults and social services visits only "as indicated." Although the resident had signed consent for psychological services and family sent a text to the social worker reporting that the resident was very depressed, talking about making very bad decisions, and requesting therapy, no referral was made and there is no evidence the resident was ever seen by behavioral health providers. In the weeks before the event, the resident reported increased anxiety and received PRN Hydroxyzine on multiple days without clear documentation of the indication, and no behaviors were charted. The situation culminated when the resident ingested antifreeze in an apparent suicide attempt, telling staff he did not want to be alive anymore, demonstrating the facility’s failure to provide necessary behavioral health care and services.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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