Call Bell Inaccessibility Leads to Delay in Resident Care
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident, who was dependent on staff for self-care and mobility due to muscle weakness and a history of cerebral infarction, was found in bed with the call bell positioned out of reach on the opposite side of the bed. The resident, who had impairment in both lower extremities, was unable to access the call bell and reported being in significant pain, rating it as 8 out of 10. The resident stated she had been trying to get staff attention for over 15 minutes to request pain medication but was unable to do so due to the call bell's placement. During the observation, a Licensed Practical Nurse confirmed that the call bell was not within the resident's reach and acknowledged that facility policy requires call bells to be accessible to all residents at all times. The facility's policy and staff interviews indicated that staff are expected to ensure call bells are within reach before leaving a resident's room and to conduct regular rounding. In this instance, these expectations were not met, resulting in a delay in care for the resident.