Failure to Provide Adequate Personal Grooming and Hygiene Assistance
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide necessary services to maintain adequate personal grooming and hygiene for residents who were dependent on staff for assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). Facility policy required that appropriate care and services, including hygiene such as bathing, grooming, and shaving, be provided in accordance with the resident's plan of care and preferences. However, multiple residents who required assistance did not consistently receive showers as scheduled, and there was a lack of documentation regarding refusals or alternative interventions. One resident with hemiplegia, contracture, and visual impairment reported a preference for showers and being shaved, but was observed with facial hair on multiple occasions and received bed baths instead of showers on several scheduled days, with no documentation of refusal. Another resident with muscle weakness and a need for personal care assistance was observed with significant facial hair and had not received a shower since a specified date, with no clear documentation of refusal or re-approach. A third resident with depression and hypertension reported not always receiving scheduled showers and instead receiving bed baths, with no documentation of refusals for the missed showers. A fourth resident, also requiring assistance with personal care, was observed with facial hair and had a care plan intervention for grooming, but there was no evidence that scheduled grooming was consistently provided. Interviews with facility leadership confirmed that personal hygiene care, including shaving, should be offered on shower days and as preferred by the resident, and that refusals should be documented with re-approach attempts. The clinical records and nurse aide documentation failed to show that these protocols were followed, resulting in unmet hygiene and grooming needs for the affected residents.