Failure to Provide Communication Board in Resident's Language
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident, admitted with diagnoses including atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, and dysphagia, was not provided with a communication board in their spoken language. The resident's records indicated that they spoke Cantonese, but during an observation, the communication board available in the resident's room was labeled in Spanish. This discrepancy was confirmed by a Licensed Vocational Nurse, who acknowledged that the board was not in the correct language and should have been in Cantonese. Further review of the facility's policy on accommodating residents' communication needs revealed that adaptive devices, such as communication boards, should be provided to assist residents in expressing their needs. The Director of Nursing confirmed that the policy was not followed in this instance, resulting in the resident not having an effective method to communicate with staff.