Care Plan Not Updated for Hearing Aid Use
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to update the care plan to include the use of hearing aids for a resident who had recently been evaluated by audiology and received physician's orders for hearing aid use. The resident was admitted to the facility and subsequently assessed as having moderate cognitive impairment, with documentation indicating she wore hearing aids and had adequate hearing. Despite this, the care plan updated on 3/19/25 did not address hearing loss or the use of hearing aids, even though physician's orders specified the devices should be inserted each morning and removed at bedtime. Observations revealed the resident was not wearing her hearing aids, and interviews with the resident and staff confirmed she had recently started using them but often refused due to discomfort. The MDS nurse acknowledged missing the assessment and failing to update the care plan, despite daily discussions of resident assessments in morning meetings. Both the DON and Administrator confirmed that care plans were expected to be reviewed and updated during these meetings, but the omission was not identified or corrected.