Failure to Provide Consistent Hot Water for Resident Bathing
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide consistent access to hot water for bathing for four cognitively intact residents, each with significant medical conditions such as fractures, diabetes, cerebral infarction, multiple sclerosis, and malnutrition. Over a period earlier in the month, these residents reported having no hot water for several days, with some stating the issue lasted up to two weeks. During this time, residents were either forced to take cold showers, refuse showers, or were only offered wet wipe baths as an alternative. Documentation and interviews confirm that staff were aware of the lack of hot water, and that the issue affected both the men's shower room and the general hot water supply after a water tank failure. Staff interviews and facility records indicate that the hot water shortage was due to malfunctioning water heaters, with one tank completely out of order and the facility unable to meet hot water demand under normal conditions. The maintenance director and regional maintenance director confirmed the problem, noting that the facility ran out of hot water after a few showers and that professional services were required to replace the faulty equipment. During the outage, there was no consistent alternative provided to residents for bathing, and the facility's own policy requires a safe, comfortable, and homelike environment, which includes access to hot water.