Community Home Health of Maryland

The Home Health Agency (HHA) failed to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive emergency preparedness program to ensure the safety and well-being of patients and staff during emergencies.

The home health agency (HHA) failed to maintain an ongoing quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) program that demonstrated measurable improvement in indicators for which there was evidence that improvement led to improved health outcomes.

The facility failed to implement a comprehensive infection control program to prevent and control infections and communicable diseases, resulting in inadequate infection prevention practices.

The facility failed to develop and maintain a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan for 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The provided plan was inadequate as it lacked staff members' specific roles, responsibilities, and authority.

The agency failed to develop and maintain an emergency preparedness plan that includes a process for cooperation and collaboration with local, tribal, regional, State, and Federal emergency preparedness officials.

The agency failed to develop and maintain an emergency preparedness communication plan.

The agency did not establish a communication plan to include the necessary methods for sharing patient information and medical documentation with other healthcare providers during an emergency.

The facility did not implement and maintain an emergency preparedness training and testing program as required.

The HHA failed to conduct performance improvement projects that meet the regulatory requirements for scope, implementation, and evaluation, thereby not ensuring continuous quality improvement in patient care.

The HHA must maintain an ongoing QAPI program, only providing reports from October to December 2023 and January to March 2024, failing to meet the regulatory requirements for continuous quality improvement documentation.

The facility failed to implement and maintain a comprehensive infection control program, which includes coordinated surveillance, identification, prevention, and control measures for infectious and communicable diseases as part of the HHA’s QAPI program.

The Clinical Manager, it was observed that the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) improperly placed a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.

The review indicated that prescribed frequencies were not followed and that wound care was provided without a signed physician order, impacting the patients' care and recovery processes.

The surveyor observed that the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) failed to educate the caregiver and patient regarding managing a bleeding sacral ulcer.

The agency’s clinical staff failed to promptly document a skilled professional visit.

The Home Health Agency (HHA) failed to ensure that its branches were provided with direct support and administrative control as required.

SPs failed to effectively coordinate patient care and provide teaching to patient's and/or their caregivers for 2 out of 7 patient observations.

The findings include: 1. The following breaks in infection prevention and control were identified during observations: a) Failure to practice effective hand hygiene. b) Failure to use effective barrier protection when handling clean supplies. c) Failure to teach patients in regards to infection…

The agency's skilled professionals (SPs) failed to implement effective infection prevention and control measures during patient care for 4 out of 7 patient observations.

Failure to provide efficient, appropriate teaching increased the risk of exposure to crosscontamination and subsequent infections.

Skilled professionals (SPs) were not providing adequate care for 4 out of 12 reviewed and 3 out of 7 patient observations.

Agency staff did not provide 1 out of 1 newly admitted patient with the required patient rights information to enable the patient's participation in the development of the plan of care.

The agency staff failed to keep personal health information (PHI) confidential and failed to protect the patients' right to privacy for 12 out of 12 patients reviewed.

Agency staff failed to advise 1 out of 1 newly admitted patient of the state toll free home health telephone hot line.

Agency staff failed to advise 1 out of 1 newly admitted patient of federally-funded and state-funded entities that provide special services where the patient resides.

Failure to assure complete and correct medication assessments placed the patients at risk for inefficient and unsafe medication therapy.

Failure to assure complete, accurate POCs placed the patients at risk for inadequate care and interventions.

The skilled professionals (SPs) failed to integrate all necessary disciplines for 2 out of 7 patient observations.

The skilled professionals (SPs) failed to effectively coordinate patient care for 2 out of 7 patient observations.

The skilled professionals (SPs) failed to provide appropriate teaching to the patients and/or the patients' caregivers for 2 out of 7 patient observations.

The agency's skilled professionals (SPs) failed to follow, implement and obtain orders for 3 out of 12 patients reviewed and for 2 out of 7 patient observations.