Avalon Healthcare Bellingham

In the surveyor’s words

From the most serious findings on record at Avalon Healthcare Bellingham, in the surveyor’s own words.

• Immediate jeopardy, isolatedF600Mar 8, 2023

  Based on observation, interview, and record review the facility failed to prevent neglect and abandonment of one of one resident (1) who was discharged to a motel, while they were still a resident of the facility, without ensuring arrangements were made to provide care for the resident's Stage IV pressure injury (PI) to their right buttock, unstageable pressure injuries to their right heel, right lateral (to the side away from the middle) calf, and left heel along with a wound to their right knee or set up any services to address the resident's nutritional needs. Additionally, the facility failed to ensure there were services in place to assist the resident with their bowel and bladder incontinence or medical management of the resident's multiple comorbidities. […]

• Actual harm, widespreadF880Jan 26, 2022

  Based on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to operationalize all components of the infection control program when there were multiple breaches in the program. The facility failed to ensure the staff were compliant with Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines and standards of practice for two of two wings. The facility failed to ensure oversight and implementation of screening visitors as required during a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, to ensure the appropriate Transmission Based Precautions (TBP) were implemented with COVID-19 positive residents, failed to ensure the staff appropriately used personal protective equipment (PPE), failed to ensure appropriate hand hygiene practices, failed to ensure the staff cleaned and disinfected reusable… […]

• Actual harm, isolatedF686Apr 24, 2025

  Based on interviews and record reviews, the facility failed to consistently reposition, assess and monitor skin integrity timely & implement pressure offloading interventions to prevent the occurrences of avoidable pressure ulcers (PU) for 1 of 3 residents (Resident 1) reviewed for pressure ulcers. Resident 1 experienced harm when they developed unstageable PU (later diagnosed as Stage 4 pressure ulcer) to their sacrum that became infected and required hospitalization . Findings included . The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) Pressure Injury (Ulcer) states a pressure injury is localized damage to the skin and/or underlying soft tissue usually over a bony prominence or related to a medical or other device. […]

• Actual harm, isolatedF689Sep 3, 2024

  Based on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to provide supervision to ensure residents were free from avoidable accidents for 2 of 3 residents (Resident 1 and 2) reviewed for accident hazards. Resident 1 experienced harm when they fell from bed and sustained a head injury that required sutures and hospitalization when facility staff did not follow the resident's individualized care plan (CP) that required two staff assistance/supervision for incontinence care. This failed practice placed Resident 2 at risk for injury when they wandered outside the facility without staff supervision. […]

• Actual harm, isolatedF686May 31, 2023

  Based on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to develop a plan of care, and implement interventions to prevent Pressure Ulcer/Pressure Injury (PU/PI) development for 1 of 1 resident (Resident 1) who was admitted without a PU/PI, but who had multiple co-morbidities with an increased risk for PU/PI development. The facility failed to provide staff education, ensure competency on the correct use of a bone stimulator (an external medical device that generated a radio frequency energy to the bone), prevent skin breakdown, and monitor ongoing skin integrity with the application of the bone stimulator. This failure resulted in physical harm to Resident 1 when they developed a stage III PI to their left foot from a medical device. […]