Failure to Provide Timely Repair or Replacement of Resident's Eyeglasses
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident with vision impairment received proper treatment and assistive devices to maintain vision abilities. The resident, who had diagnoses including unsteadiness on feet and muscle wasting, was assessed as requiring corrective lenses and had moderately impaired cognition. Approximately a month prior to the survey, the resident's eyeglasses became broken, with both ear pieces missing, making them unusable. The resident reported the issue to the facility and experienced difficulty watching television and seeing objects at a distance, though he had not sustained any injuries as a result. Despite the resident's report and a documented referral to an optometrist, no appointment had been scheduled by the time of the survey. The LSW was aware of the broken glasses but was initially unaware that both ear pieces were missing. The LSW acknowledged that the typical timeline for optometry appointments was a couple of months and had not yet confirmed an appointment or arranged for timely repair or replacement of the glasses. This lack of timely action resulted in the resident being without necessary corrective lenses for an extended period.