Signature Healthcare Muncie: Family Not Notified of Fracture - IN
Nobody from the facility called.
The resident, identified in inspection records only as Resident M, was transported to an orthopedic clinic after a nurse practitioner's note from August 13 documented ankle pain, an x-ray positive for fracture, and a follow-up appointment set for August 19. She was placed in a hard splint and told not to put weight on her left leg. The clinical record contained no documentation that her family or representative was notified of the x-ray result or the appointment.
The accident happened on August 11. The x-ray came back the next morning. The facility transported her to the orthopedic clinic. And still, no one called.
Resident M's first emergency contact told inspectors on September 15 that the facility never reached out about the accident or the fracture. She said she did not know whether any treatment had been provided until the day after the accident, when a fracture was confirmed. Her second emergency contact said Resident M herself had called from the orthopedic clinic that day, telling her she thought her foot was broken. "Nobody from the facility communicated with the emergency contact," the inspection report states. When that second contact called the facility herself, a nurse confirmed the fracture.
She left several messages for the director of nursing. One call, placed at 7:40 in the evening, was met with a request to call back at 10:00 p.m. The nurse, she was told, was busy with another resident.
The director of nursing, interviewed by inspectors on September 16, said she had been told by RN 7 that Resident M had spoken with a relative about the accident in a phone call. Because the nurse believed the family already knew, he did not contact them directly. The DON offered this as an explanation. The inspection report does not describe it as a satisfactory one.
RN 7 confirmed the sequence himself. He knew about the accident on August 11. He knew about the x-ray the next morning. He knew the resident had been taken to the orthopedic clinic. He knew she had mentioned the accident to a relative in a phone call. He did not call anyone. "In retrospect," he told inspectors, "he should have contacted the resident's representative and/or family about the accident/injury."
The second emergency contact told inspectors that Resident M could understand medical information, depending on how it was explained to her. The facility's own policy, provided by the director of nursing during the inspection, states that notification of the resident's representative is required when there is a significant change in physical status, and that documentation of notification or notification attempts must be recorded in the medical record. The clinical record had none.
The inspection, completed September 17, 2025, cited the deficiency as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting a small number of residents.
Resident M had come to Signature Healthcare of Muncie to get better after knee surgery. She left with a fractured ankle, a hard splint, orders to keep her weight off her left leg entirely, and a family that learned what happened not from the nurses who were there, but from her, calling from a clinic, telling them she thought her foot was broken.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Signature Healthcare of Muncie from 2025-09-17 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 28, 2026 · Our methodology
SIGNATURE HEALTHCARE OF MUNCIE in MUNCIE, IN was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 17, 2025.
Nobody from the facility called.
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.