Failure to Provide Timely Nail Care and Personal Hygiene Assistance
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident with profound intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, seizures, scoliosis, lactose intolerance, and gluten sensitivity did not receive adequate and timely assistance with personal hygiene, specifically nail care. The resident was cognitively intact and required supervision or touching assistance for activities of daily living, including personal hygiene. The care plan specified that staff should check, trim, and clean the resident's nails on bath days and as necessary. However, multiple observations revealed that the resident's fingernails were long and tinged brown, and staff interviews confirmed that the nails had not been trimmed for several weeks. Further review of the facility's policy on nail care indicated that the purpose was to keep nails clean and trimmed to prevent infections. Despite this, the resident's nails remained untrimmed over several days of observation, and staff acknowledged the lapse in care. The deficiency was substantiated by direct observation, resident and staff interviews, and review of medical records and facility policy.