Failure to Timely Replace Missing Glasses and Communicate with Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow up in a timely manner with optometry to replace a missing pair of glasses for a resident with multiple diagnoses, including hemiplegia and polyneuropathy. The resident, who had moderate cognitive impairment and required assistance with personal hygiene, reported the loss of glasses to the Social Services Assistant (SSA) on 7/3/2025. The SSA made an initial call to the optometrist's office, where they were informed that optometry would notify the facility of their next visit. No further follow-up calls were made by the SSA after the initial contact, and the resident was not provided with any updates regarding the status of the replacement glasses. The resident expressed frustration and a sense of being ignored due to the lack of communication and the delay in replacing the glasses, which were necessary for reading. The SSA acknowledged being aware of the resident's need for the glasses to read periodicals but did not pursue additional follow-up. The Director of Nursing (DON) also recognized that more could have been done to communicate progress to the resident. The facility's policy required timely corrective action upon completion of the investigation of lost property, but this was not implemented in this case.