Failure to Provide Bathing Assistance According to Resident Preferences
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide bathing assistance to dependent residents in accordance with their documented preferences and care needs. Review of clinical records and electronic task documentation for four residents revealed that staff did not consistently assist with or document showers as required. For example, one resident who was dependent on staff for bathing missed a scheduled shower, with no documentation of refusal. Another resident, requiring setup and clean-up assistance, missed two scheduled showers, and reported that staff shortages sometimes prevented assistance. A third resident, needing partial to moderate assistance, also missed a scheduled shower without documentation of refusal. A fourth resident, dependent on staff and preferring two showers per week, only received one shower per week, contrary to her stated preference, with no documentation of refusal. Facility policy requires nursing staff to obtain and honor residents' bathing preferences, including frequency and timing. The documentation reviewed did not indicate that any of the residents refused their scheduled showers, suggesting that the missed care was due to staff inaction or lack of documentation. Interviews with residents confirmed that assistance was not always provided as scheduled, and staff acknowledged the findings during interviews with surveyors.