Failure to Maintain Resident Nail Hygiene and Personal Grooming
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide adequate care and services to maintain good grooming and personal hygiene for one resident by not ensuring the resident's fingernails were kept clean and neat. Multiple observations over three consecutive days revealed that the resident's fingernails were long and had a yellow and brown substance underneath. Interviews with staff, including a CNA and the Infection Preventionist Nurse, confirmed that the resident's fingernails were dirty and required cleaning, and that it was the responsibility of the nursing staff to ensure residents' fingernails were clean as part of infection control and personal hygiene. The resident involved had a history of ulcerative colitis and dementia, was dependent on staff for most activities of daily living, and required maximal assistance with personal hygiene. The resident's care plan included a goal to keep the resident clean, dry, and well-groomed. Facility policy and the CNA job description both specified that nail care was part of routine hygiene responsibilities. Despite these requirements, the resident's fingernails remained unclean over several days, as documented by both direct observation and photographic evidence.