Failure to Ensure Use of Hearing Aid for Communication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide necessary services to maintain a resident's ability to communicate by not ensuring the use of prescribed hearing aids. The resident had a documented history of hearing difficulty, with clinical recommendations and physician orders specifying the use of a left hearing aid to be placed in the morning and removed at night. Despite these orders, multiple observations over several days showed the resident was not wearing the hearing aid, and staff interviews confirmed that the device had not been placed or charged for an extended period. Staff members, including nurses and CNAs, were unclear about the responsibility for ensuring the hearing aid was in place, and there was a lack of verification that the device was being used as ordered. The resident's representative also reported that the hearing aid had not been used or charged for weeks, and staff interviews revealed a lack of consistent follow-through with the physician's orders. The facility's policy required that residents' abilities in activities of daily living, including communication, should not diminish unless unavoidable due to clinical condition. However, the failure to ensure the resident's hearing aid was used as ordered resulted in the resident not having access to necessary hearing assistance, directly impacting their ability to communicate.