F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
D

Failure to Provide Resident-Centered Activity Program

Fitchburg HealthcareFitchburg, Massachusetts Survey Completed on 10-01-2024

Summary

The facility failed to implement a resident-centered, meaningful, and engaging activity program for a resident with severe cognitive impairment and multiple mental health diagnoses, including schizophrenia, dementia, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder. The resident expressed preferences for activities such as reading, listening to music, participating in religious activities, and going outside for fresh air. However, the resident's Activity Care Plan did not include interventions for musical activities or going outside, and there was no evidence that these preferences were offered or encouraged. Observations and interviews revealed that the resident was often left without any activities or personal items within reach. The resident was frequently found sitting in a chair facing a wall, with the television turned off and no reading materials or activity supplies available. Despite the resident's expressed interest in watching TV, the staff failed to ensure the TV was functional, and the remote controls were placed out of the resident's reach. The Activity Director acknowledged the lack of available activity materials and was unable to provide evidence that the resident had been offered or refused activities such as religious programs, musical activities, or reading materials. The Activity Participation Logs for August and September showed limited engagement in activities, with most interactions being brief verbal exchanges or independent TV activity. The logs did not document any offers or refusals of the resident's preferred activities, indicating a lack of adherence to the resident's care plan. The Activity Director admitted uncertainty about the resident's participation in religious programs and suggested that musical activities might have been offered, but there was no documentation to support this. The facility's failure to provide a resident-centered activity program resulted in the resident not participating in meaningful activities aligned with their preferences.

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 F0679 citations
Failure to Provide Resident-Centered Activities
E
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to Provide Resident-Centered Activities Three residents did not receive an ongoing activities program matched to their needs and preferences. A resident with severe visual impairment was bored on weekends and could not participate in bingo because he was not given a large-print card. Another resident said she was never asked about activity preferences, did not get an activity calendar until later, and was not offered in-room activities. A third resident with significant neurologic and physical impairments said preferred activities were unavailable and he was bored; the acting AD reported activities often started late and many residents could not participate.

Fine: $27,378
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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.
Failure to Provide Activities for a Resident with Cognitive and Physical Impairment
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to provide activities for a resident with Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, moderate cognitive impairment, and dependence in ADLs/transfers. The resident was repeatedly observed in bed in a quiet room without stimulation while music, art, and worship activities were available, and records showed only limited 1:1 visits with no documentation of activity attendance or refusal. The AD noted the resident liked music and art and had not been out of the room for an activity since March.

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 Individualized Activities
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to Provide Individualized Activities: A resident with anxiety, depression, and weakness was cognitively intact but said they could not attend group activities because of leg problems and wanted more in-room activities. The resident mostly stayed in bed watching TV, and staff documentation showed only limited room visits with no consistent activity documentation despite a care plan goal for participation two to three times per week.

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 Individualized Activities
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

Failure to provide individualized activities for a resident with dementia. The resident's representative said the resident had not received activities and needed to stay busy, while survey observations showed the resident wandering in the halls and sitting in the lobby without participating in facility activities. The DON reported there was no record of activity participation, and an activity staff member said she only talked with the resident occasionally and was the only activity staff member, so she did not have time.

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 Adequately Assess and Implement a Resident’s Activity Preferences
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, severe cognitive impairment, depression, visual and hearing impairments, and other comorbidities had documented preferences on the MDS for reading materials, music, and being around animals, but the activity assessment was completed only with the resident, not family, and concluded the resident could not identify preferred activities. The care plan inconsistently described the resident as sociable with interests in arts and crafts, bingo, and music, yet noted no current activities of interest, and a later activity participation review was left incomplete. Activity records listed daily relaxation and media-based activities and one-on-one reading, but staff later clarified that relaxation meant the resident was simply resting in bed and that recorded one-on-one sessions did not actually occur because the resident was asleep. Surveyors repeatedly observed the resident awake in a dark room with no television, music, reading materials, or other entertainment, and staff were unable to state the resident’s specific activity preferences, demonstrating a failure to adequately assess and implement individualized activity 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.
Incomplete individualized activity plan and no documented activity participation
D
F0679 F679: Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Short Summary

A resident with stroke, vascular dementia, and kidney failure was non-verbal and unable to make needs known, yet the facility did not develop or implement an individualized activity plan. The care plan had incomplete activity focus, goals, and interventions, and activity flow sheets showed the resident was not offered or participated in any individual or group activities. Observations showed the resident lying in bed awake looking at the ceiling or wall, with the TV in the room not on during the observations.

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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