Failure to Ensure Timely Response to Resident Telephone Calls
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that telephone calls for a resident were answered by staff, resulting in a lack of immediate access to the resident. During an unannounced visit, it was found that a resident with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, was unable to use her call light after it fell to the floor. She called out for assistance but received no response from staff. The resident then contacted a family member for help. The family member reported making multiple unsuccessful attempts to reach facility staff by phone over an 11-minute period, eventually being transferred to the nurses' station without the call being answered or receiving a callback. Interviews with facility staff revealed that after the receptionist left at 9 p.m., incoming calls were transferred to the Registered Nurse Supervisor, who stated that calls might not be answered immediately if she was attending to resident care. Additional interviews with two other residents indicated that calls intended for them were also not forwarded. The administrator confirmed that the expectation was for calls to be answered and forwarded appropriately during and after office hours.