The staff at an Iowa nursing home neglected to replace a resident’s depleted oxygen tank last month, resulting in the woman’s death, according to state inspectors.
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing has fined Odebolt Specialty Care in Sac County $8,500 as a result of the death.
The nursing home, which is owned and operated by the West Des Moines nursing home chain Care Initiatives, allegedly failed to provide adequate oxygen for a female resident diagnosed with congestive heart failure and who required supplemental oxygen. The inspections department alleges the staff repeatedly failed to monitor the woman’s vital signs and failed to check her oxygen tank to ensure she could breathe.
Inspectors’ reports indicate that when workers at the home approached the woman to take her to lunch on the morning of Dec. 20, they found her unresponsive with an empty oxygen tank nearby. The reports state the woman’s oxygen saturation level ranged from 12% to 45%. Anything below 88% typically calls for immediate medical intervention.