Failure to Provide Accessible Call Light for Dependent Resident
Penalty
Summary
A resident with quadriplegia and documented self-care deficits was observed in bed without access to an appropriate call light. The call light string was hanging from the wall onto the nightstand, out of the resident's reach, and the resident reported being unable to use the call string due to his condition. The resident stated he had to wait until staff passed by his room and then yell for assistance, sometimes waiting a long time for help with activities of daily living. The care plan indicated the resident was dependent on staff for self-care due to contractures and quadriplegia, and the facility's policy required providing an alternative means to call for assistance if the call light was not functional. No other devices for calling staff were present in the resident's room at the time of observation.