Failure to Respond Timely to Resident Call Lights
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to respond to resident call lights in a timely manner for nine out of eleven residents reviewed. According to the facility's own Call Light Guidance Policy, staff are required to respond to call lights within a reasonable amount of time, and all staff are responsible for responding. The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) job description also outlines the responsibility to provide care in accordance with established policies and procedures. Despite these policies, multiple residents reported significant delays in call light response, with some stating that it often took up to an hour or more for staff to respond. Residents also described situations where staff would turn off the call light and promise to return, but then failed to do so, leaving residents waiting for extended periods, especially when assistance from two staff members was required for transfers. Facility records, including the grievance log and resident council minutes, documented ongoing complaints about delayed call light responses and related issues such as unmade beds and lack of water refills. These concerns were consistently raised during resident council meetings, with residents expressing frustration that the problems persisted despite being reported to facility leadership. The administrator acknowledged awareness of the ongoing complaints but had not yet resolved the issues. The deficiency was identified through interviews, record reviews, and documentation of repeated resident concerns over several months.