Failure to Provide and Document Scheduled Showers for Dependent Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide multiple scheduled showers for dependent residents, as required by its own policy, which states that residents should be offered a shower, tub bath, or bed/sponge bath at least two times per week or according to their preference. Documentation in the electronic medical records for three residents revealed missed showers without any record of showers, baths, or refusals for several scheduled dates. Specifically, one resident with diagnoses including dementia, Parkinson's disease, and a pressure ulcer was scheduled for showers twice weekly but only received five showers over a 30-day period, with no documentation for other scheduled dates. Another resident with chronic kidney disease, muscle atrophy, sepsis, gangrene, and diabetes was also scheduled for twice-weekly showers but only received three showers and had two refusals documented, with no other entries for the remaining dates. A third resident with dementia, delusional disorder, and depression received only two showers and had two refusals documented, with no other records for the rest of the scheduled showers. Interviews with the facility's administrator and director of nursing confirmed that the expectation is for residents to receive two showers per week and for staff to document all showers given or refused in the electronic medical record. Both leaders acknowledged that staff are required to document when a shower is given or refused, and if a shower is refused, the nurse should be notified to reapproach the resident and address any barriers. The lack of documentation and missed showers for these dependent residents represents a failure to follow facility policy and ensure proper hygiene and dignity for residents unable to perform activities of daily living independently.