Failure to Provide Adequate Bathing Assistance Due to Staffing Shortages
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide necessary assistance with activities of daily living, specifically bathing, for one resident who was dependent on staff for showering and bathing. The resident, admitted with a trimalleolar fracture, difficulty walking, and dysphagia, was cognitively intact and required full assistance for bathing. Review of charting showed that the resident received only a few bed baths over a period of more than a month, with no evidence of regular full showers or complete bed baths as required by facility policy. Interviews with the resident revealed that she mostly received partial bed baths, often limited to washing her face and armpits, and that she felt unclean and embarrassed due to the lack of proper hygiene care. Staff interviews confirmed that due to staffing shortages, aides were often unable to provide full showers or complete bed baths, and care was frequently rushed. The CNAs reported that with only two aides for a hall of 34 residents, many of whom required two-person assistance, they could not consistently provide full hygiene care. The DON acknowledged that residents should receive head-to-toe bed baths and daily wash-ups, but also noted that sometimes showers or baths were not properly documented. The Executive Director stated that residents should receive showers and linen changes as scheduled, but staff were expected to report if they were unable to complete these tasks.