Failure to Provide Regular Showers or Baths to Resident Requiring Assistance
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident with moderate cognitive impairment, hemiplegia, heart failure, and depression did not consistently receive showers or baths at least once a week as required. Clinical record review and interviews revealed that the resident, who required assistance from one staff member for bathing due to an ADL deficit related to a stroke, reported going up to three weeks at times without a shower. The resident stated that staff frequently postponed her showers, promising to provide them the next day but often failing to follow through. She also indicated that she did not refuse showers, but sometimes tried to accommodate staff when they were busy, which resulted in further delays. Review of facility documentation showed inconsistent and insufficient records of showers provided to the resident over several months, with some months showing as few as one or two showers. The electronic health record for the previous 30 days only documented a single refusal and lacked further documentation of showers or baths. The DON confirmed that the expectation was for residents to receive showers twice a week unless otherwise requested, and that refusals should be documented and re-offered the next day. However, the documentation and resident reports indicated this standard was not met for the resident in question.