Pulaski Health Care Center: Bowel Monitoring Failure - IN
Inspectors reviewed bowel movement records from July 1 through August 19, 2025. In those seven weeks, documentation showed movements on just ten days: July 15, July 19, July 22, July 27, August 2, August 4, August 5, August 8, August 11, and August 17. The gaps between some of those dates stretched nearly a week. There was no documentation that staff sought any physician orders or attempted any intervention during the periods when nothing was recorded.
The resident needed substantial to maximal help with toileting hygiene and had a care plan flagging risk for low hemoglobin and low red blood cell counts tied to iron deficiency anemia. A separate care plan noted a history of right humerus fracture and chronic pain, addressed with twice-daily hydrocodone-acetaminophen. Both plans called for monitoring medication effectiveness.
Constipation is a known risk for residents on opioid pain medications. Hydrocodone slows the digestive tract. The care plan called for staff to observe for medication effectiveness. The records suggest nobody acted on what they observed, or failed to observe.
When inspectors raised the concern on August 22, the Director of Nursing and a Regional Nurse Consultant were both present. Neither provided additional information.
Inspectors also requested the facility's bowel monitoring policy. It was never produced.
The citation was classified as minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting few residents. That classification reflects the regulatory floor, not a ceiling on what the gaps in monitoring could have meant for a resident already managing anemia, chronic pain, and dependence on staff for basic hygiene.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Pulaski Health Care Center from 2025-08-22 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Download the official CMS inspection PDF from Medicare.gov
Additional Resources
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: September 19, 2026 · Our methodology
PULASKI HEALTH CARE CENTER in WINAMAC, IN was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 22, 2025.
Inspectors reviewed bowel movement records from July 1 through August 19, 2025.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.