Failure to Provide Adequate ADL Assistance and Hygiene Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide necessary assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), specifically related to bathing and personal hygiene, for three residents who required such care. One resident was observed to be disheveled, with unbrushed and oily hair, and reported having only two showers since admission, both provided by Occupational Therapy staff. Documentation review showed that scheduled showers were not consistently provided or documented by nursing staff, and the unit manager confirmed that lack of documentation indicated the care was not performed. Another resident was observed with matted and tangled hair, and records showed only four documented baths in a month, with no documentation of bathing or attempts to bathe for the past 30 days. Staff interviews confirmed that refusals should be documented, but there was no evidence of such documentation in the records reviewed. A third resident was noted to have a strong smell of urine and, according to a family member, had not received a shower for several months, only sponge baths, and was left in urine-soaked clothes. Grievance logs indicated repeated family complaints about inadequate bathing care, with documentation showing only a few showers provided and some refusals recorded. The facility's policy required staff to provide appropriate support and assistance with hygiene for residents unable to perform ADLs independently, but observations, interviews, and record reviews demonstrated that this standard was not met for the residents involved.