RAPID CITY, SD — Federal health inspectors identified seven deficiencies at Fountain Springs Healthcare during a standard health inspection completed on December 9, 2025, including a violation of residents' rights to self-administer their own medications when clinically appropriate.
Medication Self-Administration Rights Denied
Among the deficiencies documented, inspectors cited Fountain Springs Healthcare under federal regulatory tag F0554, which requires nursing facilities to permit residents to manage and take their own medications independently when a physician or qualified clinician has determined it is clinically safe to do so.
The violation was classified at Scope/Severity Level D, meaning it was isolated in nature and did not result in documented actual harm. However, inspectors determined there was potential for more than minimal harm to residents affected by the practice.
Self-administration of medication is a federally protected right under the Nursing Home Reform Act. When a resident's care team determines that the individual possesses the cognitive and physical ability to safely manage their own medications — such as inhalers, eye drops, or daily oral prescriptions — the facility is required to honor that determination and provide appropriate support.
Why Medication Autonomy Matters
The right to self-administer medications is more than a regulatory checkbox. It is directly tied to resident dignity, independence, and clinical outcomes. Residents who are capable of managing their own medication routines often experience better adherence to prescribed schedules, greater sense of personal control, and improved psychological well-being.
When a facility restricts this right without clinical justification, several risks emerge. Residents may experience unnecessary delays in receiving time-sensitive medications, such as rescue inhalers for respiratory distress or fast-acting glucose tablets for diabetic episodes. Additionally, centralizing all medication administration through nursing staff can introduce its own set of errors, including missed doses during shift changes or incorrect timing of medications that require precise scheduling.
Proper protocol requires that a clinical assessment be conducted to evaluate each resident's ability to self-administer. If the assessment confirms the resident is capable, the facility must document this in the care plan and ensure medications are stored safely and accessibly within the resident's room. Restricting this right without a documented clinical rationale constitutes a violation of federal standards.
Seven Total Deficiencies Identified
The self-administration citation was one of seven deficiencies documented during the December 2025 inspection. While the full scope of all cited violations provides a broader picture of facility operations, the medication rights issue highlights a fundamental concern about how Fountain Springs Healthcare approaches resident autonomy and individualized care planning.
Facilities that receive multiple deficiencies during a single inspection cycle often face increased scrutiny from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Depending on the severity and pattern of violations, consequences can range from mandatory corrective action plans to increased inspection frequency and, in serious cases, financial penalties.
Facility Response and Correction Timeline
Fountain Springs Healthcare submitted a plan of correction following the inspection findings. According to federal records, the facility reported that the deficiency had been corrected as of December 16, 2025 — just one week after the inspection concluded.
A plan of correction typically outlines the specific steps a facility will take to address the identified deficiency, prevent recurrence, and monitor ongoing compliance. For a self-administration violation, appropriate corrective measures would generally include re-evaluating all current residents for medication self-administration eligibility, retraining nursing staff on federal requirements regarding resident rights, and updating internal policies to ensure clinical assessments are properly conducted and documented.
Industry Context
Medication-related deficiencies remain among the most commonly cited violations in nursing home inspections nationwide. According to CMS data, resident rights violations — including restrictions on self-administration — account for a significant portion of annual deficiency citations across long-term care facilities.
The federal standard exists to balance safety with independence. Nursing homes are not intended to remove capabilities from residents who retain them, but rather to provide support that maintains and, where possible, enhances each individual's functional abilities.
Fountain Springs Healthcare, located in Rapid City, serves the western South Dakota community as a skilled nursing facility. The full inspection report, including all seven cited deficiencies, is available through the CMS Care Compare database for families and prospective residents seeking detailed compliance information.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Fountain Springs Healthcare from 2025-12-09 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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