Failure to Provide Grooming Assistance for Dependent Resident
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident with a history of stroke, muscle weakness, left side hemiplegia, post-polio syndrome, and dysphagia, who was cognitively intact but required extensive assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), was not provided with appropriate grooming care. The resident's care plan specified a need for total assistance with bathing and staff assistance with grooming and personal hygiene, including shaving facial hair. During an observation, the resident was found to have several chin hairs approximately one inch in length and expressed a preference for a clean-shaven face, stating she often had to request staff assistance for shaving. Interviews with staff revealed that the nurse aide assigned to the resident was aware of the resident's grooming preferences and confirmed that the resident rarely refused care. However, the aide was unsure why the resident's face had not been shaved. The nurse assigned to the resident was not aware of the facial hair and did not recall any resistance to personal care from the resident. Both the administrator and the DON were also unaware of the reason for the lapse in grooming and stated that residents were expected to be kept clean and shaved as preferred.