Merkel Nursing Center

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.

Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.

Have a registered nurse on duty 8 hours a day; and select a registered nurse to be the director of nurses on a full time basis.

Ensure that nurse aides who have worked more than 4 months, are trained and competent; and nurse aides who have worked less than 4 months are enrolled in appropriate training.

Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.

Designate a qualified infection preventionist to be responsible for the infection prevent and control program in the nursing home.

Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.

Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.

Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services.

Regularly inspect all bed frames, mattresses, and bed rails (if any) for safety; and all bed rails and mattresses must attach safely to the bed frame.

Develop, implement, and/or maintain an effective training program for all new and existing staff members.

Develop, implement, and/or maintain an effective training program that includes effective communications for direct care staff members.

Ensure that staff members are educated on resident rights and facility responsibilities to properly care for its residents.

Give their staff education on dementia care, and what abuse, neglect, and exploitation are; and how to report abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Conduct mandatory training, for all staff, on the facility’s Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Program.

Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.

Provide behavior health training consistent with the requirements and as determined by a facility assessment.

Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

Employ sufficient staff with the appropriate competencies and skills sets to carry out the functions of the food and nutrition service, including a qualified dietician.

Administer the facility in a manner that enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently.

Conduct and document a facility-wide assessment to determine what resources are necessary to care for residents competently during both day-to-day operations (including nights and weekends) and emergencies.

Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.

Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.

Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.

Follow rules about disclosure of ownership requirements and tell the state agency about changes in ownership and/or administrative personnel.

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.