Failure to Remove Mechanical Lift Pads Compromises Resident Dignity
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that all residents requiring mechanical lifts for transfers were treated in a dignified manner, as evidenced by observations and staff interviews. Four residents with significant medical conditions, including vascular dementia, hemiplegia, neurogenic bladder, Alzheimer's disease, major depressive disorder, kyphosis, contractures, hypokalemia, and generalized edema, were found in their beds with mechanical lift pads left underneath them after being transferred. These findings were confirmed through direct observation and interviews with both CNAs and nursing leadership, who acknowledged that the lift pads were not removed after residents were returned to bed. Staff interviews further revealed that leaving the mechanical lift pads under residents was not in accordance with facility procedures and did not promote the dignity or skin integrity of the residents. The facility's own policy on Quality of Life and Dignity states that each resident should be cared for in a manner that promotes and enhances dignity and respect, which was not followed in these instances.