Failure to Provide Timely Toileting Assistance Compromising Resident Dignity
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when staff failed to provide timely toileting assistance to a resident with no cognitive impairment, as indicated by a BIMS score of 15, and diagnoses including hemiplegia, hemiparesis, anxiety disorder, and generalized muscle weakness. The resident, who required assistance with personal care, activated her call light to request help with toileting. Staff entered the room, acknowledged her request, and stated they would return to assist her, but the call light was turned off and the resident was left waiting for more than 15 minutes. During this period, staff communicated the resident's need to other staff members, but no one responded promptly to her request. The resident reported that it frequently took longer than 15 minutes for staff to answer her call light, and on this occasion, she waited approximately 30 minutes before receiving assistance, resulting in incontinence. The resident expressed feelings of embarrassment, shame, sadness, and a lack of dignity due to the delay and subsequent incontinence. Staff interviews confirmed the delay exceeded the facility's expectation for call light response times, and the facility's policy emphasized the importance of prompt response to promote resident dignity and well-being.