Failure to Timely Respond to Call Lights Compromises Resident Dignity
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to answer call lights for residents needing assistance in a timely manner, impacting the dignity and care of three residents who were dependent on staff for toileting, personal hygiene, bed mobility, and transferring. One resident reported waiting over an hour for call lights to be answered on multiple occasions, particularly on weekends, and another described waiting 30 minutes after activating the bathroom call light, followed by an additional 15-minute wait before being assisted off the toilet. Observations confirmed that a resident's call light remained activated for over 20 minutes while multiple staff members walked past without responding. Residents expressed frustration with the long wait times and attributed the delays to insufficient staffing. Staff interviews corroborated these concerns, with a CNA and a registered nurse both stating that call lights were not answered promptly when staffing levels were low, particularly when only one CNA was assigned to a hallway with 30 residents. The Director of Nursing acknowledged the absence of a call light policy and stated that a 10 to 15-minute response time would be considered timely, but 30-minute waits were not acceptable. The lack of a formal policy and inadequate staffing contributed to the failure to meet residents' needs for timely assistance, as documented through resident interviews, staff statements, and direct observation.