In our November 2012 newsletter, new surveyor guidance was provided entitled "Administration of Medications via a Feeding Tube". The guidance noted that professional standards of practice must be followed when administering medications via feeding tube; specifically that all medications should be administered separately (not mixed together) and that the tube must be flushed between each medication. Thus, failure to "pre-flush" prior to medication administration, failing to flush between each medication, and/or failure to "post-flush" the tube at the conclusion, or failure to administer all medications separately would result in the assessment of a single (1) medication error which would be included in the calculation of the facility's medication error rate. A number of providers have expressed a concern over the prospect of being assessed for multiple errors if a staff person is observed failing to flush between several medications for a single resident. However, even though the staff person might neglect to flush between one or more of the resident's medications, only one error will be cited as the result of failure to flush.

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There's little time left for Health Care Excel to recruit nursing homes to work with them on an 18-month collaborative.  It will include education, communication, and resources for antipsychotic use and falls, with umbrella coverage of person-centered care at all meetings. 

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