Failure to Provide Communication Boards for Non-English Speaking Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide communication boards at the bedside for three residents who did not speak English, despite care plans indicating the need for such aids due to language barriers. Resident 19, whose primary language was Russian and who had chronic kidney disease and hemiplegia, was observed without a communication board in the room. Resident 24, with congestive heart failure and a primary language of Cantonese, also did not have a communication board available. Resident 58, diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and whose primary language was Mandarin, had only an English-language poster in the room, with no communication board in Mandarin present. Interviews with staff confirmed that communication boards in the residents' primary languages should have been available in their rooms. The facility's policies emphasized the importance of dignity, respect, and non-discrimination, including the provision of free language services and information in other languages. However, during observations and interviews, it was evident that these communication supports were not in place for the identified residents, contrary to both care plan interventions and facility policy.