Failure to Maintain Audible Call Bell System in Resident Areas
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a fully functioning call bell system on the second floor, as evidenced by the lack of an audible call bell sound in the hallways and at the nurses' station. During the survey, the call bell light was observed to be on outside a resident's room, but no audible alert was heard by staff in the area. Staff confirmed that they did not hear any call bell sound, and the Maintenance Director later acknowledged that the sound on the second floor was significantly lower than on the first floor. The issue had not been previously reported to maintenance, and the problem was identified as new, with the last inspection showing no issues. A resident with a tracheostomy reported that they had called for a nurse to assist with suctioning and experienced long wait times for call bell responses, sometimes up to an hour. The surveyor observed staff present at the nurses' station who did not respond to the call bell light, further indicating that the system was not functioning as intended to alert staff to resident needs. The deficiency was identified through complaint review, direct observation, and staff and resident interviews.