Altamaha Healthcare Center
Inspection Findings
F-Tag F0689
F 0689 Level of Harm - Actual harm Residents Affected - Few
FORM CMS-2567 (02/99) Previous Versions Obsolete
that incident, they began to vape. Review of Resident R6's progress note dated 5/20/2025 revealed that the CNAs approached Resident R6 in the DON's office and informed nursing that a vape was found in the resident's room. Per
the progress note, staff saw smoke in the resident's room and walked in and saw the vape. A review of Resident R6's social service progress note dated 5/21/2025, indicated a vape device was found in the resident's possession after the resident was reportedly caught smoking. During an interview on 8/7/2025 at 9:10 am,
the AD stated CNA15 let Resident R6 go out during a smoke break with a supplemental oxygen tank on the back of
the resident's wheelchair. During an interview on 8/7/2025 at 10:33 am, the DON stated she believed staff knew it was not okay to have supplemental oxygen outside for a smoke break. During a follow-up interview
on 8/7/2025 at 3:57 pm, the DON stated that 5/20/2025 was the first time Resident R6 was found with a vape in their room. The DON stated the vape was removed, and the resident was caught again with a vape on 5/24/2025
in their room. The DON stated that the risk of vaping in a resident's room was that it could potentially start a fire. During an interview on 8/7/2025 at 4:13 pm, the Administrator stated she thought she had heard a while ago that Resident R6 was vaping in their room. She did not recall what was done after the incident and did not know how many times the resident was caught with a vape. The Administrator stated the resident was not allowed to vape in their room because the resident was on supplemental oxygen, and it was flammable.
During a telephone interview on 8/9/2025 at 9:18 am, the former DON stated she was the DON at the time when CNA15 allowed Resident R6 to go outside with a supplemental oxygen tank to smoke. According to the former DON, Resident R6 wanted to go outside with the group, and CNA15 told the resident it was okay to go outside with
the supplemental oxygen tank because he had turned it off. The former DON stated it scared the other residents, and they reported it the next day. Per the former DON, CNA15 admitted he made a mistake.
During a telephone interview on 8/9/2025 at 10:18 am, the former Administrator stated he was the Administrator when CNA15 allowed Resident R6 to go outside with a supplemental oxygen tank to smoke. The former Administrator stated that CNA15 was suspended, and then their employment was terminated.
During an interview on 8/9/2025 at 1:54 pm, the DON stated her expectation was that all smoking materials were to be kept with the staff and no residents could have smoking materials in their room. The DON stated that staff were expected to report any found smoking materials to anyone in charge. During an interview on 8/9/2025 at 2:44 pm, the Administrator stated her expectation for vapes in a resident's room was that they were not allowed, and she expected them to be stored with cigarettes. The Administrator stated she expected staff to report to her, the DON, or a nurse if they found a resident with a vape. During an interview
on 8/9/2025 at 2:46 pm, the Administrator stated her expectation was that there were to be no supplemental oxygen tanks outside while residents were smoking.
Event ID:
Facility ID:
If continuation sheet
ALTAMAHA HEALTHCARE CENTER in JESUP, GA 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 JESUP, GA, (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 ALTAMAHA HEALTHCARE CENTER or from the state Department of Health. Reports include deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines.