03/31/2022
Survey Tip of the Week: Quality of Care
Quality of Care F-tag 684 is the third most frequently cited f-tag in FY 2022. A common area of noncompliance involves skin treatments. The citations have ranged from the absence of physician orders for current treatments in place, to treatments not applied as ordered. Lack of orders have occurred when the skin condition was a result of a fall, a treatment was immediately applied, but a physician order was not obtained nor initiated into the treatment record.
The Long-Term Care Survey Process (LTCSP) instructs surveyors to ask residents the following questions about their skin:
- Do you have any bruises, burns, or other issues with your skin?
- Do you know how you got it?
- Are staff aware?
- What are they doing to prevent it from happening again?
Surveyors will also conduct observations for abrasions, lacerations, bruises, skin tears, burns, rash/hives, and dry skin on residents. A record review will be conducted to identified if the area was assessed, interventions put in place as ordered, and care planned accordingly. Physician and family notifications will also be reviewed.
LeadingAge Ohio encourages facilities to utilize the Long-Term Care Survey Process and the LTC survey pathways to monitor for compliance. The survey pathways can be found on the CMS Nursing Home webpage, under the download section, and within the zip file called LTC Survey Pathways.
For more information about the citations occurring in Ohio, please join us on the monthly STAT: Survey Tips and Tactics call. Register now for the April 13 call at 10:00AM.
As Ohio annual survey restarted in January, LeadingAge Ohio is sharing tips to assist members during the survey process. Send questions you’d like addressed in future Tips of the Week to Stephanie DeWees at sdewees@leadingageohio.org.
