Failure to Provide Timely Call Light Response Due to Insufficient Staffing
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide sufficient nursing staff to meet the needs of residents, as evidenced by prolonged call light response times for two residents. One resident, with moderately impaired cognition, was observed waiting 27 minutes for a response to his call light and reported frequent waits of half an hour or more. Facility records confirmed multiple instances over several days where this resident's call light remained unanswered for 15 minutes or longer, with some instances exceeding 25 minutes. The resident reported having to plan ahead for bathroom needs due to the long wait times and stated that these delays occurred throughout various shifts. Another resident, with severe cognitive impairment, was observed waiting 32 minutes for a response to their call light. Call light reports for this resident also documented numerous occasions where the call light was on for 15 minutes or more, including several instances exceeding 30 minutes and one instance lasting 50 minutes. The facility's policy required staff to answer call lights within 10-15 minutes, and the administrator confirmed the expectation for a 15-minute response time. The administrator also noted that two staff members had called in on one of the days in question.