Call Light Accessibility Deficiency
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident was found lying in bed, awake and alert, with their call light device hanging from a hook on the wall out of reach. The resident reported being unable to reach the call light and stated that it had not worked for months. The resident had a history of bilateral osteoarthritis of the hip, difficulty walking, lack of coordination, asthma, dysphagia, and schizoaffective disorder. The resident's care plan indicated impaired cognition, incontinence, and a need for assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), with specific interventions to keep the call light within reach and encourage its use for requesting assistance. During the observation, a CNA confirmed that the call light was not within the resident's reach and acknowledged responsibility for ensuring it was accessible. The DON stated that nursing staff are expected to check call lights for proper function and accessibility at every shift change. Facility policy requires that calls for assistance be answered as soon as possible, but no later than five minutes, with urgent requests addressed immediately. The failure to keep the call light within reach resulted in the resident being unable to summon staff for assistance in a timely manner.