Failure to Ensure Resident Access to Hearing Aids Due to Poor Communication and Documentation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement interventions to ensure that hearing aids were routinely applied or offered daily for a resident with severe bilateral hearing loss. The resident, who had intact cognition and did not reject care, was identified in the care plan as requiring staff assistance with placement of hearing aids. During observation and interview, the resident was found without hearing aids, was unable to locate them, and reported not being informed of their whereabouts. The resident expressed a need for the hearing aids to hear and required the surveyor to speak louder during the interview. Interviews with staff revealed a lack of communication and documentation regarding the location and application of the resident's hearing aids. A nursing assistant stated she had not applied the hearing aids and was unaware of their location, while a registered nurse confirmed the absence of the hearing aids and lack of information in the electronic medical record. The nurse manager disclosed that she had possession of the hearing aids for several weeks but had not documented this or communicated it to staff or the resident. The Director of Nursing verified that the electronic medical record did not reflect the location of the hearing aids or any communication about their status. The facility's policy on quality of care was requested but not provided.