Failure to Provide Accessible Call Light or Alternative for Dependent Resident
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident was found without access to a functioning call light or an alternative call bell at bedside. During observation and interview, the resident reported that the call light in her room had not been working for two weeks and that she did not have a call bell available. The resident stated she had to call the front desk for assistance, which resulted in delays. A treatment nurse confirmed the absence of a call bell after searching the resident's bedside area and acknowledged that the call lights in the room were not operational. The Director of Nursing later confirmed that bells were supposed to be provided to all residents in the affected area, and that residents were expected to have a bell at bedside until the call lights were repaired. The resident involved had a history of hemiplegia and hemiparesis, requiring varying levels of assistance with activities of daily living, including being dependent for toileting, lower body dressing, and transfers. The resident was cognitively intact, as indicated by a BIMS score of 15. Facility policy required that call lights or their alternatives be accessible to residents at all times, including when in bed, on the toilet, or in the shower. The failure to provide a call bell or functioning call light was contrary to these policies and procedures.