Failure to Provide Scheduled Showers Compromises Resident Dignity
Penalty
Summary
A resident with diagnoses including spinal stenosis, weakness, gait and mobility abnormalities, and lower back pain was admitted to the facility and required assistance with activities of daily living, including bathing. According to the resident's Minimum Data Set and care plan, staff were responsible for providing this assistance. The resident was scheduled to receive showers on specific days, as indicated by the facility's shower schedule. However, documentation and interviews revealed that the resident did not receive a shower for five consecutive days, receiving only a bed bath at the beginning of this period and a shower at the end. The resident reported feeling unclean and expressed dissatisfaction to CNAs about not receiving a shower, specifically mentioning that her hair became matted and dirty, which negatively affected her well-being. Staff interviews and record reviews confirmed that the resident's scheduled showers were missed and not documented as refusals. The Director of Staff Development and the DON both acknowledged that the resident did not receive bathing services as scheduled and that this was not in accordance with facility policy. The facility's policy emphasized the importance of promoting residents' sense of well-being, satisfaction, and self-worth, which was not upheld in this instance. The failure to provide scheduled showers was identified through observation, interviews, and record review, and was recognized as a lapse in maintaining the resident's dignity.