Failure to Provide Scheduled Bathing Assistance to Dependent Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide necessary assistance with activities of daily living, specifically bathing, for two residents who were unable to perform these tasks independently. Both residents were care planned to receive staff assistance with bathing according to individualized schedules documented in their electronic medical records (EMR). However, record reviews revealed that scheduled baths and showers were missed on multiple occasions for both residents, with no documentation to explain the omissions. Resident #1, an elderly female with multiple chronic conditions including COPD, heart failure, and osteoarthritis, was scheduled to receive baths on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. The EMR showed missed baths on several scheduled days, and the resident confirmed during interview that she did not receive a bath the previous week except when provided by her hospice provider. Resident #2, an elderly male with diabetes, muscle weakness, and mobility issues, was scheduled for showers on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday day shifts. His EMR also reflected missed showers on several scheduled days, and he reported dissatisfaction with the facility's adherence to his shower schedule. Interviews with CNAs and facility leadership confirmed that staff were responsible for providing scheduled baths and showers, and that failure to do so could result in residents developing odor or skin issues. Both the Director of Nursing and the Administrator stated their expectation that residents receive bathing as scheduled. The facility's own policy emphasized the importance of regular bathing for comfort, cleanliness, and skin integrity, but the documented care and staff interviews demonstrated that this standard was not consistently met for the two residents reviewed.