cms_AL: 24

In collaboration with The Seattle Times, Big Local News is providing full-text nursing home deficiencies from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These files contain the full narrative details of each nursing home deficiency cited regulators. The files include deficiencies from Standard Surveys (routine inspections) and from Complaint Surveys. Complete data begins January 2011 (although some earlier inspections do show up). Individual states are provides as CSV files. A very large (4.5GB) national file is also provided as a zipped archive. New data will be updated on a monthly basis. For additional documentation, please see the README.

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rowid facility_name facility_id address city state zip inspection_date deficiency_tag scope_severity complaint standard eventid inspection_text filedate
24 HIGHLANDS HEALTH AND REHAB 15012 380 WOODS COVE ROAD SCOTTSBORO AL 35768 2018-05-03 880 D 0 1 VXOM11 **NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observations, interviews, medical record review and review of facility policies titled, Medication Administration and nebulizer use, the facility failed to ensure: 1) licensed staff did not place Resident Identifier (RI) #21's container of eye drops in her pocket after instilling the drops; this was observed on 05/01/18; 2) licensed staff did not place a container of glucometer strips in her pocket, remove them to check a finger stick blood sugar for RI #146, return them to her pocket and place the container on the medication cart; this was observed on 05/01/18; and 3) RI #3's nebulizer mask was stored in a covering on two of four days of the survey. These deficient practices affected RI # 3, one of two residents observed with nebulizer masks, RI #21 one of one resident observed receiving eye drop medication; and RI #146, one of one residents observed receiving nebulizer medication. Findings Include: (1) A review of a facility policy titled Medication Administration, with an updated date of 06/12, revealed: . PR[NAME]EDURE: . 7. Return medication to medication cart and store according to the facility policy. RI #21 was readmitted to the facility on [DATE], with a [DIAGNOSES REDACTED]. A review of RI #21's (MONTH) (YEAR) Physician order [REDACTED].> .1/29/18 ARTIFICIAL TEARS - INSTILL 2 DROPS TO EACH EYE 5 x (times)/DAY . On 05/01/18 at 10:15 a. m., Employee Identifier (EI) #4, Registered Nurse (RN) was observed administering medications to RI #21. EI #4 gave the medications by mouth then placed the eye drop bottle and the breathing treatment vial in her uniform pocket. EI #4 washed her hands, removed the eye drop bottle from her pocket and put on gloves. EI #4 instilled the eye drops then put the eye drop bottle back in her pocket after taking her gloves off. EI #4 washed her hands and removed the breathing treatment medication from her pocket, put on gloves and administered the medication. EI #4 removed her gloves and washed her hands. EI #4 returned to the medication cart and signed the medications off. EI #4 removed the eye drop bottle from her pocket and returned it to the Ziploc bag labeled for the medication and placed it in the medication cart. On 5/02/18 at 2:58 p.m., EI #4 was interviewed. EI #4 was given a recap of the observation on 5/1/18 and then asked if during the medication pass if she instilled eye drops for RI #21. EI #4 replied, yes. EI #4 was asked where should the eye drop container be stored while administering other medications or washing her hands. EI #4 replied, on the table on a barrier. EI #4 was asked what was the policy on storing the eye drop container. EI #4 replied, it should be placed on a barrier on the resident's table while in the room. EI #4 was asked if she put the eye drop container in her uniform pocket. EI #4 replied, yes. EI #4 was asked if the pocket of her uniform would be considered clean or dirty. EI #4 replied, dirty. EI #4 was asked what was the risk of storing the eye drop container in her uniform pocket. EI #4 replied, cross contamination and infection control. On 5/02/18 at 6:10 p.m., an interview was conducted with EI #2, the Director of Nursing (DON). EI #2 was asked what was the policy on where to place an eye drop container after instilling the eye drops. EI #2 replied, on a barrier if in the resident's room, then back on the cart. EI #2 was asked, when should a nurse put an eye drop container in her pocket. EI #2 replied, never. EI #2 was asked if a uniform pocket would be considered clean or dirty. EI #2 replied, dirty. EI #2 was asked what would the risk be in putting the eye drop container back on the medication cart after it was in the uniform pocket. EI #2 replied, the possibility of transferring germs. 2) RI #146 was readmitted to the facility on [DATE], with a [DIAGNOSES REDACTED]. On 5/01/18 at 10:48 a.m., EI #4, a Registered Nurse (RN) was observed obtaining a glucometer check on RI #146. After obtaining the blood sample, EI #4 placed the container of glucometer strips in her uniform pocket and went in to the bathroom to wash her hands. EI #4 returned to the cart cleaned the glucometer, then removed the container of glucometer strips from her pocket and placed it on the medication cart. On 5/2/18 at 5:41 p.m., EI #4 was given a recap of the medication observation on 5/1/18 at 10:48 a.m. and an interview was conducted. EI #4 was asked if she did a glucometer check on RI # 146 before lunch. EI #4 replied, yes. EI #4 was asked what did she do with the container of glucometer strips when she finished. EI #4 replied, she put them in her pocket. EI #4 was asked what was the policy on storing the glucometer strip container. EI #4 replied, on a clean barrier on the resident's table. EI #4 was asked if the pocket of her uniform would be considered a clean area. EI #4 replied, no. EI #4 was asked, why was the pocket of her uniform not considered clean. EI #4 replied, putting your hands in and out would have germs. EI #4 was asked, what would be a risk for storing/placing a glucometer strip container in the pocket of her uniform. EI #4 replied, spreading germs, contamination and infection control issues. On 5/02/18 at 6:10 p.m., an interview was conducted with EI #2, the DON. EI #2 was asked what was the policy on where to place the glucometer strip container when in a resident's room. EI #2 replied, on a barrier on the resident's table. EI #2 was asked when should a nurse put the container of glucometer strips in their pocket. EI #2 replied, never. EI #2 was asked if the pocket of a nurse's uniform would be considered clean or dirty. EI #2 replied, dirty. EI #2 was asked what was the risks of the nurse putting the glucometer strip container in their pocket then returning it to the medication cart. EI #2 replied, possible transferring of germs. (3) RI #3 was admitted to the facility on [DATE], and readmitted on [DATE], with a [DIAGNOSES REDACTED]. A review of a facility policy titled, nebulizer use, with an effective date of 04/17, documented: . PR[NAME]EDURE . 15. Nebulizer compressor and zip lock bag of tubing and accessories to be stored at bedside . RI #3's (MONTH) (YEAR) Physician order [REDACTED].> . IPRAT-ALBUT ([MEDICATION NAME]) 0.5(2.5) MG (milligram)/3ML (milliliter) - ADMINISTER 1 VIAL PER NEBULIZER TID (three times a day) . On 05/02/18 at 8:20 a.m., the surveyor observed RI #3's nebulizer mask hanging from the nebulizer machine. The mask was not in a covering. On 05/02/18 at 3:02 p.m., RI #3's nebulizer mask remained hanging from the nebulizer machine, and not in a covering. On 05/02/18 at 6:17 p.m., the surveyor again observed RI #3's nebulizer mask hanging from the nebulizer machine. The mask remained uncovered. On 05/03/18 at 7:37 a.m., RI #3's nebulizer mask was observed uncovered and continued to hang on the nebulizer machine. On 05/03/18 at 7:43 a.m., the surveyor conducted an interview with Employee Identifier (EI) #8, a Licensed Practical Nurse assigned to care for RI #3. The surveyor asked EI #8 was RI #3 receiving nebulizer treatments. EI #8 said yes. When asked how often RI #3 received the treatments, EI #8 replied, three times a day. The surveyor asked EI #8 how should the nebulizer mask be stored. EI #8 said in a Ziploc bag. The surveyor asked EI #8, when not stored in that manner, what was that a potential for. EI #8 replied, contamination and infection. 2020-09-01