Insufficient Nursing Staff Leading to Delayed Resident Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide sufficient nursing staff to meet the needs of residents, as evidenced by multiple resident and staff interviews, as well as grievance reviews. Fourteen out of twenty residents reported long wait times for call light responses, delays in receiving assistance for activities of daily living such as getting out of bed, incontinence care, grooming, and pain medication administration. Several residents described waiting up to an hour or more for help, with one resident specifically stating that she was left in excruciating pain due to delayed pain medication. Another resident was observed to be malodorous, confirming her report of infrequent showers and inadequate incontinence care. Grievances also documented issues such as lack of fresh water, failure to apply protective booties, and unaddressed requests for assistance. Staff interviews corroborated these concerns, with one staff member stating that there was not enough staff to meet resident needs and describing increased falls, wounds, and incomplete care tasks. Documentation from resident council meetings and individual grievances further supported the pattern of insufficient staffing, with multiple reports of call light response times exceeding 30 minutes and unresolved complaints. The Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that the facility did not have enough nursing staff to provide necessary care to maintain residents' highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.