The scope and severity grid runs from A through L. Everything at level G or above indicates actual harm; level J and above is immediate jeopardy.
Substandard quality of care is a defined term, not a judgment call. It applies to specific requirement groups cited at particular severity levels, and it triggers additional notification obligations.
In the first forty-eight hours after exit, secure the evidence, brief the medical director, and begin drafting the plan of correction rather than debating the citation.
Exam items in this area usually ask what an administrator must do next. The right answer is almost always the action that protects residents first and documents second.