Aperion Care Hanover: Dialysis Care Not Documented - IN
Federal inspectors found that Aperion Care Hanover couldn't prove whether nursing staff had performed required dialysis port care for Resident D, despite the patient's physician ordering the treatment every 24 hours starting July 14.
The resident's medical record showed he was cognitively intact and suffered from anemia, end-stage renal failure, and heart failure. His doctor had ordered staff to soak his abdominal dialysis port with a non-woven sponge for five minutes before connecting his dialysis catheter each day.
But the facility's electronic medication administration records showed no documentation that staff provided this care on July 17, July 20, July 25, July 27, July 29, August 6, August 7, and August 24.
The missing documentation violated the nursing home's own medication administration policy, which requires staff to record treatment immediately after providing it. The policy states that nurses must initial the medication administration record "directly after the medication is given" and review records at the end of each shift to ensure all treatments were documented.
"In no case should the individual who administered the medication report off-duty without first recording the administration of any medications," the facility's policy reads.
The dialysis port care was classified as a medication administration, requiring the same documentation standards as pills or injections. Staff were supposed to initial the specific line on the resident's record showing they had completed the five-minute soaking procedure.
Federal inspectors reviewed the resident's clinical record on August 29 at 12:38 p.m. and discovered the documentation gaps spanning from mid-July through late August. The Director of Nursing provided the facility's medication administration policy to inspectors that afternoon at 2:19 p.m.
For patients with end-stage renal failure, dialysis port care is essential to prevent infections that could be life-threatening. The resident's physician had written the standing order requiring daily port maintenance, recognizing the critical nature of keeping the access site clean before each dialysis session.
The inspection occurred in response to a complaint filed against the facility. Inspectors classified the violation as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting few residents.
Aperion Care Hanover's failure to document the dialysis care meant there was no way to verify whether the cognitively intact resident had received his prescribed treatment on those eight days. The missing records created a gap in the resident's medical history and violated federal requirements for maintaining accurate medication administration records.
The facility's own policy emphasized that medication administration records serve as legal documentation of care provided. Without proper documentation, there was no proof that staff had performed the daily port soaking that the resident's condition required.
The citation was issued under federal regulation F 0842, which requires nursing homes to safeguard resident-identifiable information and maintain medical records according to accepted professional standards. The regulation ensures that facilities can document and verify all medical care provided to residents.
Resident D's case highlighted the consequences when nursing homes fail to follow their own documentation policies. The eight undocumented days represented more than a quarter of the time period inspectors reviewed, suggesting a pattern of record-keeping failures rather than isolated incidents.
The resident's end-stage renal failure diagnosis made the missing documentation particularly concerning. Patients requiring dialysis depend on meticulous care to prevent complications that could result in hospitalization or death.
Federal inspectors found that the facility had failed to ensure staff followed basic documentation requirements for a resident whose medical condition demanded careful monitoring and record-keeping of his daily dialysis port care.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Aperion Care Hanover from 2025-08-29 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 17, 2026 · Our methodology
APERION CARE HANOVER in HANOVER, IN was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 29, 2025.
The resident's medical record showed he was cognitively intact and suffered from anemia, end-stage renal failure, and heart failure.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened at APERION CARE HANOVER?
- The resident's medical record showed he was cognitively intact and suffered from anemia, end-stage renal failure, and heart failure.
- How serious are these violations?
- Violation severity varies from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the inspection report for specific deficiency codes and scope. All violations must be corrected within required timeframes and are subject to follow-up verification inspections.
- What should families do?
- Families should: (1) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (2) Request to see the follow-up inspection report verifying corrections, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspection reports, (4) Compare this facility's ratings with other nursing homes in HANOVER, IN, (5) Report any new concerns directly to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- The complete inspection report is available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request a copy directly from APERION CARE HANOVER or from the state Department of Health. The report includes specific deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines. This facility's federal provider number is 155208.
- Has this facility had violations before?
- To check APERION CARE HANOVER's history, visit Medicare.gov's Care Compare and review their inspection history, quality ratings, and staffing levels. Look for patterns of repeated violations, especially in critical areas like abuse prevention, medication management, infection control, and resident safety.