Failure to Timely Respond to Resident Call Lights
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to consistently answer resident call lights in a timely manner, as required by policy and regulatory standards. Multiple resident interviews revealed that call lights were often not answered within 15 minutes, with one resident reporting frequent delays and another stating they had to wait over an hour for assistance while on the commode. Call light system reports for several rooms over a one-week period documented numerous instances where response times exceeded 15 minutes, with some calls going unanswered for over an hour. The average response times for certain rooms ranged from 11 minutes to over 1.5 hours, far exceeding the facility's expectations for timely response. Residents involved had varying levels of cognitive function, as indicated by their BIMS scores, with some having intact cognition and others moderate impairment. Staff interviews confirmed that call lights should be answered promptly and that staff are expected to monitor call light notifications on their mobile devices. Facility policy requires call lights to be answered in a timely manner, but documented response times and resident reports indicate this standard was not consistently met during the review period.