Polaris Extended Care
Polaris Extended Care in ANCHORAGE, AK — inspection on July 19, 2024.
Found 7 citations. Severity: Standard violations.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct within required timeframes. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns and are subject to follow-up verification.
Inspection Findings
During an interview while continuing the observation on 7/15/24 at 12:39 PM, CNA #11 stated he/she was the only CNA in the cottage. CNA #11 then went into Resident #92's room and the call light was turned off. Resident #92 waited approximately 51 minutes for staff. At 1:17 PM Resident #92 was observed coming out of his/her room in his/her wheelchair.
When asked if he/she received his/her nicotine gum, the resident stated, No and that he/she was headed out to go smoke.
Resident Council Meeting Minute Review
Review of Resident Council meeting minutes, dated 1/17/24, revealed: .
Resident shared concerns of the night CNA's leaving the cottage for an extended amount of time and not available to help with their own resident[s].
Resident believes it is a safety concern.
Resident shared concerns that his call light is not being answered at nights due to caregivers not being available in the cottages. He feels this is escalating and not being addressed.
025036
Form Approved OMB
STATEMENT OF DEFICIENCIES (X1) PROVIDER/SUPPLIER/CLIA (X2) MULTIPLE CONSTRUCTION (X3) DATE SURVEY AND PLAN OF CORRECTION IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: COMPLETED A.
Building 025036 B.
Wing 07/19/2024
NAME OF PROVIDER OR SUPPLIER STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE
Polaris Extended Care 920 Compassion Circle Anchorage, AK 99504
Review of Resident #39's MDS annual assessment, dated 3/14/24, revealed: .
Section
During an interview on 7/15/24 at 12:39 PM, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) #11 stated there were no limits on the frequency a resident could shower or when a resident was able to get up, but mainly depended on the availability of staff.
Most of the time the staff were busy, and it was much harder to give showers outside of the resident's schedule.
Resident #39
Record review on 7/8-12/24 and 7/15-19/24 revealed Resident #39 was admitted to the facility with diagnoses that included Quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs) and other chronic osteomyelitis (bone infection caused by bacteria or fungus).
025036
Form Approved OMB
STATEMENT OF DEFICIENCIES (X1) PROVIDER/SUPPLIER/CLIA (X2) MULTIPLE CONSTRUCTION (X3) DATE SURVEY AND PLAN OF CORRECTION IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: COMPLETED A.
Building 025036 B.
Wing 07/19/2024
NAME OF PROVIDER OR SUPPLIER STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE
Polaris Extended Care 920 Compassion Circle Anchorage, AK 99504
Review of the facility's policy SNF [skilled nursing facility]/AL [assisted living] Abuse Prohibition and Prevention, revised 1/2024, revealed: .
The purpose of this policy is to set forth the . policy regarding the prohibition and prevention of resident . neglect .
Definitions .
Neglect . means 'the failure of the facility, its employees or service providers to provide goods and services to a resident that are necessary to avoid physical harm, pain, mental anguish or emotional distress .
025036
Form Approved OMB
STATEMENT OF DEFICIENCIES (X1) PROVIDER/SUPPLIER/CLIA (X2) MULTIPLE CONSTRUCTION (X3) DATE SURVEY AND PLAN OF CORRECTION IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: COMPLETED A.
Building 025036 B.
Wing 07/19/2024
NAME OF PROVIDER OR SUPPLIER STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE
Polaris Extended Care 920 Compassion Circle Anchorage, AK 99504
During an interview on 7/17/24, when asked if the number of staff currently working, and based on the bed capacity of 96, was affecting the facility's able to meet the needs of the resident acuity levels, the Administrator stated she felt they were able to meet the needs, but not at the standard we would want to meet them.
When asked how many open nursing positions the facility had, the Administrator there were currently 10 CNA positions and 5 nursing positions posted, however there were more that needed to be filled.
Home Keepers/Housekeepers/Activity Staff
During an interview on 7/10/24 at 3:26 PM, when asked what other measures the facility had attempted to help support the cottages to meet the needs of the residents, the Administrator stated they increased training with home keepers (cooks), housekeepers, and activity staff to help with assisting CNAs when needed in bed mobility and transfers, as well, as assist with dining for residents who required minimal support.
These staff were trained in safe patient handling and dining assistance.
During an interview on 7/11/24 at 1:25 PM, when asked if staff had voiced any concerns about the staffing levels, the DON stated the CNAs had expressed concerns that the home keepers, housekeepers, and activity staff weren't supporting them during the day because they were unsure on what they could or couldn't do.
Random observations on 7/8-10/24 and 7/15-18/24 revealed no home keeper, housekeeper, or activity staff assisted CNAs with bed mobility, transfers, or dining assistance.
See
Review of the Resident Council Meeting Minutes, dated 1/17/24, 4/17/24, and 6/20/24, the DON noted a decrease in staffing had been occurring.
During the 6/20/24 meeting the [Administrator] shared with group the new process [staffing restructure] which went live on Tuesday [6/23/24].
025036
Form Approved OMB
STATEMENT OF DEFICIENCIES (X1) PROVIDER/SUPPLIER/CLIA (X2) MULTIPLE CONSTRUCTION (X3) DATE SURVEY AND PLAN OF CORRECTION IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: COMPLETED A.
Building 025036 B.
Wing 07/19/2024
NAME OF PROVIDER OR SUPPLIER STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE
Polaris Extended Care 920 Compassion Circle Anchorage, AK 99504
During an interview on 7/17/24, the Administrator stated she had the overall responsibility of the campus, and that she set the expectations and goals.
Staffing
During an interview on 7/10/24 at 3:26 PM, when asked to describe the current staffing situation in the cottages, the Administrator stated the facility traditionally would have had one nurse in every cottage, and 16 CNAs (2 CNAs per cottage) scheduled on the dayshift, however since COVID they had not been able to meet that staffing level.
The Administrator stated that the facility was currently running at crisis staffing level where there was one nurse for every 18 resident (one nurse per 1 and a half cottages) and one CNA for every 12 residents (one CNA per cottage), and there was a goal of having 4 support CNAs (1 support CNA per two cottages) to provide support and complete showers.
This had been a challenge to attain, however, due call outs, and currently had been able to only provide about 3 support CNAs a day.
025036
Form Approved OMB
STATEMENT OF DEFICIENCIES (X1) PROVIDER/SUPPLIER/CLIA (X2) MULTIPLE CONSTRUCTION (X3) DATE SURVEY AND PLAN OF CORRECTION IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: COMPLETED A.
Building 025036 B.
Wing 07/19/2024
NAME OF PROVIDER OR SUPPLIER STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE
Polaris Extended Care 920 Compassion Circle Anchorage, AK 99504