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Poor wound care and documentation, and financial exploitation of rest home resident (08HDC10236)
Download Poor wound care and documentation, and financial exploitation of rest home resident (08HDC10236) (PDF 150Kb)
(08HDC10236, 28 November 2008)
Rest home ~ Registered nurse ~ Falls ~ Medication management
~ Incident reports ~ Documentation ~ Podiatry ~ Charges ~ Job
description ~ Caregiver ~ Pressure sores ~ Financial exploitation ~
Pharmacy costs ~ Rights 2, 4(1), 4(2)
A man complained about the care provided to his elderly mother
while she was a resident at a rest home until her admission to a
public hospital with severe pressure sores. The woman was initially
admitted for respite care. She had dementia and osteoporosis, and
required constant supervision. However, other than the admission
documents, no further clinical documentation was completed that
recorded her care until she was formally admitted as a resident
three months later.
The woman sustained a number of falls and skin tears, not all of
which were reported on incident forms. The family was notified of
only one of these incidents. Several days after a pressure sore was
first noted, the woman was admitted to hospital. On admission, she
was assessed as malnourished, and having pressure sores requiring
surgical treatment.
The fees charged by the home for medication and podiatry
treatments were very high. The woman was charged for services she
did not receive, and excessively charged for some services that
were provided.
It was held that the documentation of the woman's care fell
woefully short of an acceptable standard, with large gaps in her
progress notes, a care plan that did not address her falls risk,
and inadequate incident reporting and recording of medications
given. The registered nurse was responsible for these failings, and
breached Right 4(2). The woman developed a serious pressure sore
which was not identified and treated early enough. On a significant
majority of days she did not receive her morning medication. The
nurse was personally responsible for administering this, as well as
being responsible, as manager, for monitoring the medication
administration standards of others and supervising the woman's
care. The woman was not provided with care of a reasonable
standard, and in accordance with professional standards, and the
nurse/manager breached Rights 4(1) and 4(2).
It was also found that there was a systemic problem at the rest
home that resulted in the woman receiving a poor standard of care,
and resulted in inadequate documentation of care. The home did not
provide reasonable care in accordance with Health and Disability
Sector standards, and breached Rights 4(1) and 4(2). It was also
held that the home financially exploited the woman, in breach of
Right 2.
The registered nurse manager and the rest home were referred to
the Director of Proceedings, who laid a charge before the Health
Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal alleging professional
misconduct by the nurse. The charge comprised a number of
allegations arising out of care provided to three separate rest
home residents over a period of two years (see also 07HDC12520 and 08HDC08672).
There were multiple problems relating to the care of residents
(including inadequate care by the nurse herself), as well as
management issues and a failure to maintain adequate documentation.
The nurse also misled HDC by providing an incident report she had
re-written.
The Tribunal upheld the charge and the nurse was fined $7,500
and ordered to pay costs to HDC and the Tribunal totalling $18,500.
It also imposed conditions that required the nurse to practise
under supervision for 12 months, and precluded her from practising
in a sole charge or supervisory role for three years. It
recommended a competence review prior to re-issue of a practising
certificate.
Link to Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal's decision:
http://www.hpdt.org.nz/portals/0/nur09123ddecanon.pdf