Gero Case Study 2: Summary of Identified Problems

Gero Case Study 2
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Gero Case Study 2
Hired as a consultant to evaluate a long-term care facility which is in danger of losing its accreditation, this brief report provides the recommendations that I would give to the facility’s management for improvement. In particular, this report includes the following: summary of the identified problems; a listing of the recommendations; and a suggested action plan for executing the changes.
Summary of the identified problems/deficiencies
F 0154: Tell the resident completely about her/his health status, treatments and care
Basing upon the record review, interview, and observation, the facility did not provide sufficient communication methods for 2 out of 10 sampled residents, 1 and 7. For Resident 1, she was not able to communicate her wishes during her meal on 8/26/15. For Resident 7, Licensed Vocational Nurse during the initial tour was not able to communicate with the resident who was speaking in a language save for English.
Action Plan: The facility should fully inform each resident about her/his health status, treatments and care. Sufficient communication methods should be provided to every resident (Castle et al., 2011).
F 0281: Make sure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional quality standards
Based on record review, interview and observation, the facility did not follow orders of the physician for 3 out of 10 sampled residents, that is Resident 7, 5 and 3, and for one non-sampled Resident 12. These failures had the likelihood of causing health complications to the residents in the facility. In an interview with Licensed Nurse Supervisor who had observed Resident 3 in her wheelchair, this resident needed to have a wheelchair alarm but she did not have it. Resident 5 who was also observed in her wheelchair did not have a wheelchair alarm yet she should have had it.
Action Plan: Ensure that all services provided by the facility meet professional quality standards. All wheelchairs should have wheelchair alarms (Troyer & Sause, 2013).
F 0323: Make sure that the nursing home area is free from accident risks and hazards and provides supervision to prevent avoidable accidents
Founded on record review, interview and observation, the facility did not ensure: (i) 1 out of 10 residents, that is Resident 8, was free from possible fall accidents whenever he was observed standing at his bedside with his Tab alarm – a pull string which attaches magnetically to the alarm with a garment clip to the individual – clipped to his linen rather than the clothing of the resident, preventing the alarm from sounding. This posed the possibility for injury and falls. (ii) A medication was left unattended on a desk situated between the bed of Resident 8 and the bed of non-sampled Resident 11. This posed the likelihood for other residents ingesting the medicine accidentally.
Action Plan: The facility should ensure that it is actually free from accident risks and hazards and should always provide supervision to avert accidents that are avoidable. No medication should be left unattended and t...