Failure to Accurately Assess and Care Plan for Resident with PTSD
Summary
The facility failed to accurately and thoroughly assess a resident with a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The resident, who had severely impaired cognition and was dependent on staff for all activities of daily living, was identified as feeling down or hopeless several days a week and exhibited verbal behaviors such as screaming, threatening, or cursing. Despite having a diagnosis of PTSD, the facility's PTSD Resident Screening assessment was stopped after the resident answered 'no' to the initial trauma question, and no further attempts were made to gather information from the resident's emergency contact, family, or previous facility staff regarding the cause of the PTSD or potential triggers. The resident's care plan addressed her aggressive behaviors during bathing and included interventions such as administering medications, encouraging verbalization, using diversion techniques, and allowing personal space. However, the care plan did not mention her PTSD diagnosis or any history of trauma, nor did it include strategies specific to managing PTSD-related triggers. The social service designee who completed the trauma assessment could not recall reaching out for additional information and confirmed that no documentation existed regarding assessment for triggers or appropriate care related to the PTSD diagnosis. No relevant policy was provided by the facility during the survey.
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