Long-Term Care Survey Alert

Published on Wed Sep 24, 2003 PDF

This NF's quick response left it deficiency free at the end of the day.

The way your facility approaches an incident resulting in resident harm can make a big difference in how surveyors respond, so make sure you're prepared to respond with lightening speed.
 
That's what Glenburn Home in Linton, IN discovered when the facility initiated a self-reported complaint survey after its administrators concluded that a resident sustained a fracture due to improper use of transfer technique by caregiving staff.
 
"The surveyors came in on a Thursday and said they'd be leaving on Friday afternoon, which isn't atypical," recalls facility administrator Norma Lesher.  So when the surveyors called that same afternoon to announce they were ready to do the exit, Glenburn administrators feared the worst.
 
But the surveyors said they believed the facility had done everything it could to investigate the incident, document the investigation - and take immediate steps to resolve the problem. "The facility ended up with no deficiencies," Lesher reports.
 
Here's what the facility did: