Failure to Ensure Call Light Accessibility for Dependent Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the call light was within reach for two residents who required assistance with activities of daily living. For one resident with end stage renal disease, heart failure, and bipolar disorder, the care plan specifically indicated that the call light should be within easy reach due to the resident's moderate cognitive impairment and need for moderate to maximal staff assistance. However, during an observation, the call light was found hanging under the bed and not accessible to the resident. A CNA confirmed that the resident could not reach the call light, which could result in delayed care. Similarly, another resident with hypertensive chronic kidney disease, major depression, and essential hypertension, who also had severely impaired cognition and required maximal assistance, was observed lying in bed with the call light located on the wall and out of reach. The resident stated she could not reach the call light, and the CNA acknowledged the risk of delayed care if the resident was unable to call for assistance. The facility's policy required that a means to call staff for assistance be provided, but this was not followed in these cases.