F0919

D

Failure to Document Required Nurse Call System Checks

Los Angeles, California Survey Completed on 01-08-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The facility failed to follow its policy for routine testing and documentation of the nurse call system in resident bathrooms and bathing areas, resulting in missing documentation of required inspections. A complaint was received by the California Department of Public Health alleging that a call light had not been working for four weeks. Review of the maintenance logs for July, August, and September 2025 showed entries indicating all call lights were working, but there was no documentation of call system checks for November and December 2025. During an interview, the Maintenance Manager stated that call lights and the call system are supposed to be checked monthly and documented, and acknowledged that there was no documentation for those two months. The facility’s policy, revised in January 2025, required weekly checking of a proportionate number of nurse call buttons, buzzers, cords, and lights so that each part of the system is checked at least monthly, including verification that the signal lights over residents’ doors, the audible signal at the nurses’ station, and the annunciator lights function properly.

This deficient practice placed the facility at risk for a non-functioning call system, as the required testing and documentation process was not followed or recorded for the specified months.