Failure to Respond Timely to Resident Call Lights and Lack of Call Light Policy
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to answer resident call lights in a timely manner for six residents, affecting their right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and exercise of rights. One cognitively intact resident (BIMS score 13) reported that upon returning from a hospital stay and being moved to a new room, his bed sheets and mattress were wet; his daughter activated the call light to request fresh linens, and he recalled that it took well over 15 minutes for staff to respond. The daughter stated she timed the response using her phone, initiating the call light at 8:20 p.m. and noting that staff did not respond until 9:00 p.m., and she identified the specific date this occurred. She also reported unsuccessful attempts to reach the Administrator about concerns with call light response times, describing repeated “phone tag” and eventually discontinuing her efforts. Additional evidence of delayed call light response was documented through multiple resident grievance forms. One resident reported that it took a long time for staff to answer call lights on the night shift, while another stated that CNAs were not answering her call light in an appropriate amount of time. Another resident reported that nursing staff were not timely in answering his call light, and a further grievance documented that a resident’s call light took over 30 minutes to be answered and that when staff did come, they turned the call light off and did not return to address the issue. In another case, a resident’s POA complained that the resident had soiled herself because her call light had not been answered in four hours. When interviewed, the Regional Director of Clinical Operations/Acting DON stated he had not received recent complaints about call light response times, believed call lights should be answered as quickly as possible, and considered 15 minutes an appropriate maximum, while acknowledging the facility had no call light policy. The Administrator similarly reported not being aware of complaints, stated call lights should be answered as quickly as possible depending on circumstances, and confirmed there was no facility call light policy.
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