Denton Nursing and Rehab: Records Hide Paralysis - MD
Resident #5 has lived at Denton Nursing and Rehab since 2018 with hemiplegia affecting the left side — total paralysis or severe loss of strength in the arm, leg, and sometimes face following a stroke. But when the facility appealed the resident's loss of nursing home level of care in July 2025, staff submitted paperwork listing only "personal history TIA and Cereb Infarct no residual deficit."
The resident was denied coverage twice.
Federal inspectors found the facility's electronic medical records contained all of the resident's diagnoses, including the hemiplegia. Staff simply left the paralysis off the information sheet sent to reviewers.
The Social Services Assistant told inspectors she had received notice the resident lost coverage, and the Regional MDS Coordinator appealed the findings in July. When that appeal was also denied, she discussed the situation with the resident and their representative.
But there was no record of those discussions in the resident's medical file.
Inspectors asked for evidence of care plan meetings since April 2025. The Social Services Assistant initially couldn't provide any documentation from the resident's medical record. She later brought paper evidence of a July 1 care plan meeting that she kept in her office.
"The former Director of Nursing would upload the care plan meeting notes in the medical record but was unsure who was doing that now," the Social Services Assistant told inspectors.
The facility's record-keeping failures went beyond the missing paralysis diagnosis. Inspectors found no care plan meeting documented after April 2025 and no evidence in the medical record of discussions about the loss of nursing home level of care — conversations that could determine whether the resident faces discharge.
The Regional MDS Coordinator admitted during the September 3 inspection that she would need to change the diagnosis to include the resident's hemiplegia. The Assistant Director of Nursing confirmed staff had failed to document the July care plan meeting and discussions with the resident and representative about losing coverage.
She also confirmed the facility had documented "no residual deficit" instead of left-side hemiplegia.
Medical records serve as the official documentation of healthcare organizations and must follow federal regulations, accreditation standards, and professional practice standards. All entries must be legible and accurate.
The Assistant Director of Nursing told inspectors the facility would resubmit paperwork for the resident's nursing home level of care — this time presumably including the paralysis that has affected the resident since their 2018 stroke.
The inspection was conducted in response to a complaint about the facility's handling of the resident's case.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Denton Nursing and Rehab from 2025-09-04 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 21, 2026 · Our methodology
DENTON NURSING AND REHAB in DENTON, MD was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 4, 2025.
Federal inspectors found the facility's electronic medical records contained all of the resident's diagnoses, including the hemiplegia.
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.