Waters of Georgetown: Fall Alarm Failures - IN
That's what inspectors found at Waters of Georgetown on March 30, 2026, when they walked through the rooms of two residents, both with dementia, both considered high enough fall risks that motion sensor alarms had been placed outside their doors. For both residents, the alarms were silent.
The first resident, identified in inspection records as Resident F, had been diagnosed with dementia with moderate anxiety and Parkinsonism, a neurological condition that causes movement problems. He was sitting in his wheelchair when an inspector visited his room at 10:35 that morning. A small box sat on the handrail just outside and to the left of his door. Another box sat on the floor inside the room, to the right of the bathroom door. When motion occurred in front of the interior box, a yellow light came on. The alarm outside the door did not chime.
The Regional Director of Operations, present during the inspection, told the inspector the chime switch had been set in the middle, not all the way to the on position.
That was the smaller problem. The larger one: nobody had ever gotten a doctor's order for the alarm, and the family had never been told it was there. A staff member had placed the device on their own after noticing the resident was attempting to transfer out of his wheelchair without calling for help. The facility's own written policy stated that personal alarms require a physician's order and that the resident's family must be informed and agree before one is placed. When inspectors raised the issue, the Regional Director of Operations said they were "currently getting an order."
A staff member interviewed during the survey said motion sensor chimes were supposed to be active whenever a fall-risk resident was alone in their room, specifically to alert staff before the resident attempted to move on their own. Another staff member said plainly that sensors couldn't be placed without a physician's order.
The second resident, Resident G, had a physician's order. Two of them, in fact.
The first, dated September 5, 2025, ordered a motion sensor alarm for safety every shift. The second, dated December 10, 2025, directed staff to check that the alarm was functioning properly every shift. The care plan, updated in November 2025, flagged the resident as a fall risk and listed the motion sensor as an active safety measure.
Resident G was lying in her bed when inspectors arrived at 10:32 that morning, eyes open, confused. She had been diagnosed with dementia, chronic pain, anxiety, and lack of coordination. The alarm box was on the handrail outside her door, same position as her neighbor's. Another small box sat on the floor inside, to the right of her dresser. Same result: yellow light came on with motion, alarm outside the door did not chime.
The Regional Director of Operations told the inspector the chime switch was not on.
For Resident G, staff had been ordered since December to verify the alarm worked every shift. The inspection did not document how long the alarm had been in this condition, or how many shifts had passed with the chime switch in the wrong position while a confused, uncoordinated resident with dementia rested a few feet away.
The facility's policy on safety alarm devices, provided to inspectors that afternoon, was undated. It stated that alarms should sound at the nurse's station if at all possible. During the inspection, the Regional Director of Operations did not dispute any of the findings.
The motion sensors were designed for a specific and narrow purpose: to give staff enough warning to reach a resident before the resident reached the floor. For Resident F, the device had been placed without authorization and then left with the switch in the wrong position. For Resident G, the device had a physician's order, a care plan entry, and a separate order requiring daily verification, and still wasn't working when inspectors walked in.
Neither alarm would have sounded.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Waters of Georgetown, The from 2026-03-30 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 17, 2026 · Our methodology
WATERS OF GEORGETOWN, THE in GEORGETOWN, IN was cited for violations during a health inspection on March 30, 2026.
For both residents, the alarms were silent.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened at WATERS OF GEORGETOWN, THE?
- For both residents, the alarms were silent.
- How serious are these violations?
- Violation severity varies from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the inspection report for specific deficiency codes and scope. All violations must be corrected within required timeframes and are subject to follow-up verification inspections.
- What should families do?
- Families should: (1) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (2) Request to see the follow-up inspection report verifying corrections, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspection reports, (4) Compare this facility's ratings with other nursing homes in GEORGETOWN, IN, (5) Report any new concerns directly to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- The complete inspection report is available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request a copy directly from WATERS OF GEORGETOWN, THE or from the state Department of Health. The report includes specific deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines. This facility's federal provider number is 155770.
- Has this facility had violations before?
- To check WATERS OF GEORGETOWN, THE's history, visit Medicare.gov's Care Compare and review their inspection history, quality ratings, and staffing levels. Look for patterns of repeated violations, especially in critical areas like abuse prevention, medication management, infection control, and resident safety.