Failure to Assist Resident with Hearing Aid Use
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to consistently provide assistance to a resident with severe cognitive impairment and conductive hearing loss in placing and maintaining his hearing aids. The resident was documented as dependent on staff for personal care, including the use of hearing aids, and had a care plan and physician's orders specifying the need for staff to ensure hearing aids were worn, especially when attending the PACE program. Despite these directives, multiple progress notes and observations indicated that the resident frequently did not have his hearing aids in place, and staff were sometimes unable to locate the devices. The care plan did not address the use of hearing aids, and there were instances where the hearing aids were found in a bag attached to the resident's wheelchair or were missing altogether. Interviews with staff revealed inconsistent practices regarding who was responsible for applying the hearing aids, with delays occurring due to the devices being locked in the medication cart or staff being unaware of their location. Observations confirmed that the resident was without hearing aids during activities and meals, and had difficulty hearing when spoken to. The facility's policy required staff to assist residents with hearing aids and ensure their care and protection, but this was not consistently followed for this resident.