Failure to Provide Scheduled Bathing Assistance to Dependent Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide activities of daily living (ADL) assistance, specifically with bathing and showering, to three residents who required such care. Documentation and interviews revealed that these residents were not consistently offered or given showers according to their scheduled times, despite their care plans indicating a need for assistance due to conditions such as limited mobility, legal blindness, and cognitive impairments. For example, one resident was scheduled for showers twice weekly but received significantly fewer showers than scheduled over several months, as confirmed by both electronic records and shower sheets. Interviews with the residents and their representatives indicated that the residents did not regularly refuse showers and expressed a desire to receive them as scheduled. Staff members, including nursing assistants and nurses, confirmed that the residents generally liked to receive showers and did not often refuse them. The Director of Nursing acknowledged that showers should be offered at least twice a week and confirmed that the affected residents were not offered or given enough showers according to their schedules. Observations further supported the deficiency, with one resident appearing unkempt and having dirty nails, and another resident's representative reporting that the resident was sometimes soiled during visits. Staff interviews also revealed that missed showers were sometimes due to staffing issues, and there were inconsistencies and missing documentation regarding whether showers were offered or refused. The facility's documentation practices did not consistently reflect the care provided, contributing to the failure to meet the residents' ADL needs.