Failure to Provide Off-Site Group Activities for Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide group activities outside of the facility for residents who expressed a desire and need for such activities. Record review, activity calendar review, and interviews with residents and staff revealed that no off-site group activities were scheduled or provided from July 2024 to July 2025. Residents consistently reported that they had not participated in any activities outside the facility since admission, primarily due to the lack of a facility van for transportation. The activity calendar only included in-house activities, and the facility was located within a short driving distance to various community amenities, yet these were not utilized for resident outings. Multiple residents, including those who were cognitively intact and those with moderate cognitive impairment, expressed feelings of sadness, frustration, and depression due to the inability to leave the facility for group activities such as shopping or dining out. Residents stated that they missed engaging in activities they previously enjoyed and felt confined to the facility. Some residents indicated that they did not participate in in-house activities because they were not interested, but would have participated in off-site activities if available. Interviews with the Activity Director, DON, Administrator, and Director of Clinical Services confirmed that no off-site activities had been provided since before 2020, citing the lack of a facility van and the high cost of third-party transportation as barriers. Staff were not aware of residents' requests for off-site activities, and the only outings arranged were for medical appointments or when family members provided transportation. The facility's practice was to shop for residents' requested items rather than facilitate group outings, and there was no evidence of recent efforts to arrange or schedule off-site group activities.