Failure to Accommodate Resident's Request for Geri Chair
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of a resident who requested a geri chair to help manage chronic pain and limited mobility. The resident, who was cognitively intact and had diagnoses including Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, unspecified osteoarthritis, morbid obesity, muscle spasms of the back, chronic pain syndrome, and restless leg syndrome, reported being able to tolerate sitting in a wheelchair for only about 15 minutes due to back pain. She stated that she had requested a geri chair from staff several months prior but had not received one or been offered the opportunity to use one. Interviews with facility staff revealed a breakdown in communication regarding the resident's request. Multiple staff members, including CNAs and an LPN, either did not recall being notified of the request or assumed another staff member had communicated it. The Social Services Director and Director of Nursing both confirmed they had not been informed of the resident's request for a geri chair. As a result, the resident's expressed need for a more comfortable seating option was not addressed, and no action was taken to evaluate or provide the requested accommodation.