Failure to Provide Required In-Room Activities for Residents with Special Needs
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide an ongoing activities program tailored to the needs and preferences of two residents who required in-room or 1:1 activities due to their physical and cognitive limitations. Both residents had documented care plans and assessments indicating their dependence on staff for emotional, intellectual, physical, and social needs, with specific interventions requiring individualized activities. Despite these documented needs, neither resident received in-room activities during a specified period, as confirmed by activity participation records and staff interviews. One resident, a female with severe cognitive impairment, vascular dementia, anxiety, and hemiplegia, was noted to have a care plan requiring 1:1 bedside activities and modifications for communication deficits. Observations showed her in bed with minimal or no stimulation, and activity records confirmed a lack of in-room activities for nearly two weeks. The other resident, a male with moderate cognitive impairment, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, and schizoaffective disorder, also had a care plan specifying a need for 1:1 in-room activities based on his preferences. He reported feeling lonely and expressed a desire for more frequent visits from activity staff, which were not provided during the same period. Interviews with the Activity Director and Activity Assistant revealed that both were aware of the residents' needs and the expectation to provide in-room activities, especially when the Activity Director was absent. However, the Activity Assistant did not visit the residents as instructed, and there was a lack of documentation and monitoring of activity provision. The facility also lacked a policy on activity programming and documentation, as confirmed by the Administrator.