Failure to Provide Grooming and Hygiene Assistance for Dependent Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide adequate grooming and personal hygiene assistance to residents who required help with activities of daily living (ADLs). One resident was observed in the dining room with black and brown substances under her fingernails, brownish discoloration of the nail beds, and curly facial hair on her chin. Despite being pleasant and cooperative during peri-care and catheter care, staff did not offer nail care or shaving, and there was no documentation of refusal or a care plan indicating non-compliance. The resident's Minimum Data Set (MDS) indicated a need for assistance with personal hygiene. Two additional residents, both with significant physical or cognitive limitations, were observed with long, unshaven facial hair and both expressed a need and desire for staff assistance with shaving. One had contractures in both hands and was moderately cognitively impaired, while the other was legally blind and required total assistance for personal hygiene. Both residents' care plans documented their dependence on staff for ADLs, yet staff failed to provide the necessary grooming assistance as observed and confirmed by interviews.