Failure to Provide Hearing Services and Replace Lost Hearing Aid
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide appropriate services to promote and maintain hearing abilities for a resident with documented moderate hearing difficulty. The resident's Minimum Data Set (MDS) indicated the use of a hearing aid, but interviews and record reviews revealed that the hearing aid was missing shortly after admission and was not replaced. The resident's representative reported ongoing difficulty with hearing and confirmed that the resident had not been seen by an audiologist, nor was there evidence in the clinical record of a scheduled audiology visit to address the hearing impairment or replace the lost hearing aid. Further review of the care plan showed interventions for communication problems related to hearing loss, including the use of hearing aids and communication devices. However, there was no documentation of follow-through on these interventions. An audiology consult was scheduled but later cancelled, with a note indicating a language barrier as the resident primarily spoke Italian. The Director of Nursing confirmed that the resident had not been evaluated by an audiologist and did not have hearing aids at the time of the survey.