Karcher Post Acute: Missing Prosthetic Eye Uninvestigated - ID
The resident, identified as Resident #28, had her right eye removed due to cancer and wore a glass prosthetic. Her care plan from February noted she kept removing the prosthetic eye, and her physician recommended leaving it out because "it was causing her more issues than doing her good."
By August, her care plan documented "Lost glass eye, MD recommended to leave out."
The facility's grievance policy, revised in April 2017, required that "all grievances and complaints filed with the facility will be investigated and corrective actions will be taken to resolve the grievance." The Social Services Director told inspectors that when residents report missing items, staff would search for them and replace items if they couldn't be found.
But when inspectors asked about Resident #28's missing prosthetic eye on September 2, the Social Services Director couldn't provide any documentation showing the facility had investigated the loss or taken corrective action.
The Social Services Director, who started in her current position in April after working as a nurse at the facility, said she had heard that Resident #28 removed her glass eye and placed it on her meal tray, which was then taken away. She offered no explanation for why this incident was never formally investigated.
When pressed for documentation at 3:51 PM that day, both the Social Services Director and Director of Nursing confirmed they could not locate any records showing the missing prosthetic eye had been investigated or that any action was taken to locate it.
Resident #28 was admitted to the facility and later readmitted with multiple diagnoses including stroke, cancer of the right retina, and dementia. Her care plans tracked the progression of her eye-related issues, from the cancer diagnosis through the surgical removal and subsequent problems with the prosthetic.
The February care plan specifically noted her history: "Resident #28 had history of cancer to her right eye and it was removed. She wore a prosthetic which she kept removing and the physician recommended to leave the eye out as it was causing her more issues than doing her good."
The missing prosthetic represents more than a simple lost item for someone with dementia and multiple health conditions. Federal inspectors determined the facility's failure to investigate created "the potential for psychological harm if residents' missing items were not investigated."
The violation occurred despite the facility having clear written policies about handling resident complaints and missing property. The 2017 grievance policy required prompt investigation and corrective action for any issues raised by residents or their families.
The Social Services Director's account suggested staff knew what happened to the prosthetic eye — that it was accidentally discarded with a meal tray. Yet no documentation existed showing anyone attempted to recover it, replace it, or even formally record the incident.
This gap between policy and practice emerged during a complaint inspection on September 3. Inspectors reviewed the cases of three residents who reported missing items, finding that only Resident #28's case lacked proper investigation and documentation.
The facility's own policy stated that missing items would be searched for and replaced if not found. But for Resident #28, neither step appears to have occurred, leaving her without her prosthetic eye and without any record that staff tried to help.
The inspection found the facility failed to honor the resident's right to voice grievances without facing discrimination or reprisal, and failed to make prompt efforts to resolve those grievances as required by federal regulations.
For a resident already dealing with dementia, stroke, and the aftermath of eye cancer, the loss of her prosthetic eye represented a significant personal loss that went unaddressed by the facility charged with her care.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Karcher Post Acute from 2025-09-03 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 20, 2026 · Our methodology
Karcher Post Acute in Nampa, ID was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 3, 2025.
The resident, identified as Resident #28, had her right eye removed due to cancer and wore a glass prosthetic.
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.