Failure to Maintain Call Bell Within Resident's Reach
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to accommodate the needs of a resident by not ensuring the call bell was within the resident's reach. The resident was observed lying in bed with the call bell on the floor, out of reach, and reported that staff only respond to the call bell when it is accessible. During an interview, an LPN confirmed that the call bell should be placed next to or clipped on the resident when in bed, and acknowledged that the call bell was not within reach at the time of observation. The issue was brought to the attention of the administrator and interim director of nursing, but no additional information was provided before the survey exit. The deficiency was identified through direct observation, resident interview, and staff interview, specifically noting the failure to maintain the call bell within reach for the resident while in bed.