Failure to Provide Adequate Hydration to Cognitively Impaired Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide adequate hydration for two residents who were both severely cognitively impaired and required assistance to meet their daily fluid needs. For one resident with dementia, observations over several days revealed that fluids were not consistently available at the bedside, and when present, the water was often out of reach. Staff interviews confirmed that this resident did not have a cup and was not receiving water throughout the day, despite expressing thirst and commenting on the taste of water when it was offered with medication. The resident's documented daily fluid requirement was not being met due to these lapses in care. For the second resident, who also had severe cognitive impairment and required nectar-thick liquids, repeated observations showed that no fluids were present at the bedside or in the room during multiple checks across several days. Staff interviews indicated that water should be available and refilled twice daily, with additional offerings for those on special diets, but this was not being done. The resident's daily fluid needs were documented, but there was no evidence that these needs were being addressed, resulting in a failure to provide adequate hydration.