Athene Nursing and Rehabilitation: Wound Care Failures - MO
Federal inspectors completed a complaint inspection at the facility on November 18, 2025, and cited Athene for failing to provide care that met professional standards. The deficiency was tagged at a level indicating minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting a small number of residents.
The wound at the center of the inspection belonged to Resident 8. The wound doctor had ordered Santyl, an enzymatic debriding ointment used to clean damaged tissue. The facility never obtained it. When inspectors asked the wound doctor about it directly, she said she could not recall whether anyone from the facility had told her they were having trouble getting the medication. She had previously told staff that if there was a problem obtaining something she ordered, they should let her know.
Nobody did.
The wound doctor visited the facility weekly. A nurse from the floor rounded with her during those visits. Under the system the facility described to inspectors, the wound doctor would stage and measure wounds, record her findings in her own notes, and the floor nurse would be responsible for entering the orders into the computer. Daily treatment orders, multiple staff members confirmed, were supposed to begin within 24 hours of being written.
The Director of Nursing acknowledged that not all nurses handled wound documentation the same way. A seasoned nurse, she told inspectors during an interview on October 24, would document wounds in the progress notes. Other nurses would put it only on the skin assessment. She said she expected nurses to note what a wound looked like and give an approximate size measurement on admission, but she also said the wound doctor was responsible for measuring and staging.
That division of responsibility, between floor nurses and the wound specialist who came once a week, left gaps. When a resident was admitted with a wound and didn't arrive with a treatment order from the hospital, the expectation was that the admitting nurse would call the Director of Nursing or the Assistant Director, and a physician would be notified. The nurse who got the order was responsible for entering it into the computer.
The Assistant Director of Nursing told inspectors on October 27 that either a floor nurse or the corporate nurse entered orders. She said a nurse was currently rounding with the wound doctor. If a new wound was found, the nurse was supposed to document it, notify the physician, and get a treatment order that included a description of the wound, its size, and whether there was any drainage or odor. Floor nurses, she said, do not stage wounds themselves.
Corporate Nurse G, interviewed on October 28, said she expected staff to document treatments and medications when administered and to keep the medical record complete and accurate.
The administrator said he expected staff to follow policy and procedure.
What inspectors found was something different: a resident who needed wound medication that was never obtained, documentation practices that varied by nurse experience, and a wound specialist who visited once a week and had no way of knowing whether her orders were being carried out between visits.
Santyl requires a prescription and is typically applied directly to a wound to break down dead tissue. Without it, the wound remains in conditions that slow or prevent healing. For Resident 8, the delay was not a matter of paperwork. It was a matter of whether the wound got what it needed.
The wound doctor told inspectors she could not remember being notified of a problem. The facility could not show that anyone had tried.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Athene Nursing and Rehabilitation from 2025-11-18 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 24, 2026 · Our methodology
ATHENE NURSING AND REHABILITATION in TOWN AND COUNTRY, MO was cited for violations during a health inspection on November 18, 2025.
The deficiency was tagged at a level indicating minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting a small number of residents.
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.