Inoperable Call Lights in Resident Bathroom
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident's bathroom was found to have two call lights that were not functioning. The resident, who required total assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as toileting, personal hygiene, transfer, and bathing due to conditions including low back pain, right leg pain, and osteoporosis, reported that the call lights in her bathroom were not working. She stated that she had informed someone about the issue, but could not recall when or to whom. Direct observation confirmed that pulling the call light strings did not activate the system. Interviews with staff revealed that call lights were supposed to be checked randomly and that non-functioning call lights should be reported to management. The DON was unaware of the issue and stated that there was currently no maintenance person on staff, though one had been hired to start in a week. Facility policy required that call light systems be available for resident communication and that residents be evaluated for their ability to use them, with alternatives provided if necessary. The failure to maintain operable call lights in the resident's bathroom constituted the deficiency.