Failure to Assess and Provide Hearing Assistive Devices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident with a known hearing deficit was properly assessed and provided with necessary hearing assistive devices. The resident, an elderly female with multiple diagnoses including dementia, depression, and diabetes, was admitted with hearing aids but was not assessed for hearing needs upon admission or during subsequent assessments. The Minimum Data Set (MDS) inaccurately reflected that the resident had no hearing issues and did not use hearing aids, despite the resident's own reports of hearing difficulty and the absence of her hearing aids. There was no documentation in the care plan or physician's orders regarding her hearing aids or hearing needs. Staff interviews revealed that direct care staff were aware of the resident's hearing difficulties, often needing to speak loudly or repeat themselves, but this information was not communicated to nursing or social work for further action. The social worker and MDS nurse were unaware of the resident's hearing issues, and the MDS nurse acknowledged that the assessments were inaccurate. The resident reported to staff that she could not hear well, had lost her hearing aids, and had requested to see a doctor, but these concerns were not addressed or documented, resulting in a lack of appropriate care and services for her hearing deficit.