Failure to Provide Sufficient Nursing Staff and Timely Resident Assistance
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide sufficient nursing staff to meet the needs of nine out of thirteen residents, as evidenced by multiple resident interviews, observations, and review of facility documents. Several residents reported long call light response times, with some waiting up to an hour and a half for assistance. Specific instances were documented, including a resident who kept a notepad of delayed response times, ranging from 20 to 55 minutes. Residents also described situations where staff would turn off call lights without providing the requested assistance, and some reported feeling rushed during personal care, such as bathing, or not receiving help at all, especially during night shifts staffed by agency personnel. One resident was observed to have facial hair, suggesting a lack of attention to personal grooming needs. Resident Council minutes from two separate meetings indicated ongoing concerns about long call light response times, and a grievance documented a resident not being changed during the night shift, resulting in the resident and their bed being soaked. During interviews, both the Nursing Home Administrator and the Director of Nursing confirmed the facility's failure to ensure sufficient staffing to meet resident needs. These findings were cited as violations of state regulations regarding the responsibility of the licensee and nursing services.