Delayed Response to Resident Call Lights
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure timely response to call lights for two of three sampled residents. One resident reported that it often took up to 45 minutes for staff to respond to her call light, which was her only means of communicating needs while in bed. During an observation, the call light was activated in her room and no staff responded for 15 minutes, despite six staff members being present at the nurse's station and visibly able to see the call light indicator. Staff interviews confirmed that the call light system alerts staff via monitors and hallway lights, and that they are expected to respond immediately. Another resident stated that staff did not answer call lights in a timely manner, sometimes waiting up to 45 minutes for a response. On one occasion, the resident had to physically approach staff at the nurse's station after receiving no response, and was told all nurses were on break. The facility's policy requires call lights to be answered within a reasonable time, which the administrator defined as within 3 to 10 minutes. The administrator agreed that response times of 30 to 45 minutes were not reasonable.