Failure to Ensure Accessible and Functional Call Lights for Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide reasonable accommodation of resident needs and preferences for two residents by not ensuring that call lights were accessible and functional. For one resident with dementia, a history of stroke, repeated falls, and diabetes, the call light was found under the bed mattress and out of reach during an observation. The resident's care plan required encouragement to use the call light for assistance, and the resident was dependent on staff for activities of daily living. A licensed vocational nurse confirmed that the call light was not accessible and should have been within reach to maintain safety. For another resident with paraplegia, hypertension, and chronic pain syndrome, the call light was observed to be non-functional when the resident attempted to use it. The care plan for this resident also indicated the need to encourage use of the call light for assistance. A licensed vocational nurse confirmed the call light was not working, and the DON stated that call lights should be functional and within reach. The facility's policy required that each resident have a means to call staff for assistance and that the call system remain functional at all times.