Failure to Develop Care Plan for Resident with Hearing Impairment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement a comprehensive, individualized care plan for a resident who was identified as having difficulty hearing. The resident, admitted with diagnoses including anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and atherosclerotic heart disease, was noted in the admission record and history and physical to lack capacity for decision-making. The Minimum Data Set assessment indicated the resident was usually understood by others and required partial to moderate assistance with activities of daily living. However, during observations and interviews, it was consistently noted by staff and social services that the resident had trouble hearing during conversations. Despite these findings, there was no care plan in place to address the resident's hearing impairment. Staff interviews confirmed that interventions such as communication boards, amplified hearing devices, or modified communication techniques had not been documented or implemented. The facility's own policy required the development of a comprehensive care plan with measurable objectives and timetables for each resident, but this was not followed in the case of this resident, resulting in a failure to meet the resident's communication needs.