The staff member has worked at the agency since February 2019 and is experienced working in similar settings. 

The night of the incident, the staff member was working with the house manager earlier in the day, but believed it was around 4:30-5:00 p.m. when she started working alone, which is not uncommon for the house. She prepared dinner and typically waits until approximately 6:30 to begin clean up as one individual living in the home takes longer to finish eating. This evening, she recalled being behind in the cleaning and at 7:30, individuals requested their medications.

There is a medication procedure in the home, which the staff member explained that they are to use hand sanitizer, check medications and MARS, she places a dot next to the medication signifying that it was given, removes medications from med box and places in cup. Once given to the individual, the staff returns to the MARS and signs where the dot was left previously. When further asked about this, the staff member explained that the MARS shouldn’t be signed until after you ensure that the individual took their medication in case of refusals. When asked about whether or not this is done all at once for everyone or individually, she stated it should be done with each person; however, she has done this combined. She explained that she felt this was okay because she has seen other people do it and normally she is very attentive. 

The staff member explained that this night she was in a rush because she was behind in cleaning and knew she was due to be done soon. She did the medications as she normally does, reviewing them, dotting the medications, and putting them into the cups. She stacks the cups based on the order she distributes them. She brings Individual 1’s first since she is on the first floor. She brought the cup to individual 1 who was relaxing in her room. The staff member then went upstairs to bring Individual 2 his medications. She had to wake him up to give him his medications so she did recall that he did not look in the cup that she handed him and just took his medications. It was at this time that Individual 1 came up to the staff member and told her that these were the wrong medications. The staff member realized then that she switched up the two medication cups having given Individual 2, Individual 1’s medications. 
