Samarkand Skilled Nursing Facility
Inspection Findings
F-Tag F0908
F 0908
Keep all essential equipment working safely.
Level of Harm - Minimal harm or potential for actual harm
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interviews, and record review, the facility failed to ensure the Wander Guard bracelets (a monitoring bracelet that alarms once the bracelet crosses sensors on an exit door) were maintained in safe operating condition for two of three sampled residents (Resident 1 and Resident 2) when the Wander Guard's batteries were not checked nor the bracelets periodically cleaned and disinfected.This facility failure has the potential for the Wander Guards to malfunction resulting in resident elopement (leaving/departing without anyone knowing and unsupervised).During an interview on 9/08/25 at 6:43 p.m. with a licensed nurse (LN1), LN 1 stated she had training to check the placement of the wander guard every shift but was unaware of a process to check if the Wander Guards on the residents are working (are operational) batteries or cleaning.During an interview on 9/10/25 at 11:53 a.m. with the Director of Nursing (DON), the DON stated the facility does not have a process or documentation to verify that the Wander Guards worn by
the residents are functioning appropriately, have sufficient battery life, or for operational integrity such as tampering or cleaning. During a review of the manufacturer's operational manual titled [NAME]-CARE700 Wander Management System, dated 5/2019, the manual indicated The SF705 tag [wander guard bracelet] does not have a visual LED indicator. It must have the battery tested weekly by the ID-TAD Tag activator/deactivator [a second-generation version of the secure tag activator/deactivator]. Like any piece of medical hardware, the tags should be periodically cleaned and disinfected. Tags should only be wiped down with a 3% hydrogen peroxide and water solution or isopropyl alcohol. Tags should be removed from the resident or asset prior to cleaning .Each facility should develop a tag sanitation and battery test regimen.The ID-TAD will show LB (low battery) next to the tag number. Replace the tag if the battery condition is low.During a review of the facility's policy and procedure (P&P) titled, Wandering and Elopements, dated 3/2019, the P&P indicated, If identified as at risk for wandering, elopement, or other safety issues, the resident's care plan will include strategies and interventions to maintain the resident's safety (is. Wander Guard, redirection).
Residents Affected - Few
Any deficiency statement ending with an asterisk (*) denotes a deficiency which the institution may be excused from correcting providing it is determined that other safeguards provide sufficient protection to the patients. (See instructions.) Except for nursing homes, the findings stated above are disclosable 90 days following the date of survey whether or not a plan of correction is provided. For nursing homes, the above findings and plans of correction are disclosable 14 days following the date
these documents are made available to the facility. If deficiencies are cited, an approved plan of correction is requisite to continued program participation.
LABORATORY DIRECTOR'S OR PROVIDER/SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE'S SIGNATURE
TITLE
(X6) DATE
FORM CMS-2567 (02/99) Previous Versions Obsolete
Facility ID:
If continuation sheet
Event ID:
Samarkand Skilled Nursing Facility in Santa Barbara, CA inspection on recent inspection.
Found 0 violation(s). Severity: Standard violations. Status: 0 corrected, 0 pending.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an F-tag violation?
- F-tags are federal deficiency codes used by CMS to categorize nursing home violations. Each F-tag corresponds to a specific federal regulation (42 CFR Part 483). For example, F607 relates to abuse prevention policies, F880 relates to infection control.
- Were these violations corrected?
- Facilities must submit plans of correction and implement changes within required timeframes. CMS conducts follow-up inspections to verify corrections. Check the inspection report for specific correction dates and follow-up verification status.
- How often do nursing home inspections happen?
- CMS conducts unannounced inspections of all Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes at least once per year. Additional inspections may occur based on complaints, facility-reported incidents, or follow-up to verify previous violations were corrected.
- What should families do about these violations?
- Families should: (1) Review the full inspection report for details, (2) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspections, (4) Compare with other facilities in Santa Barbara, CA, (5) Report new concerns to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- Complete inspection reports are available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request copies directly from Samarkand Skilled Nursing Facility or from the state Department of Health. Reports include deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines.