Failure to Provide Proper Wheelchair and Shower Equipment for Obese Resident
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to reasonably accommodate a resident’s needs and preferences by not providing an appropriately sized wheelchair and suitable shower equipment. The resident, who has morbid obesity and depression, was documented as cognitively intact, requiring a wheelchair for mobility, two staff for transfers, and one to two staff for showers. The resident’s care plan included a goal that she would not refuse to come out of her room, get out of bed, and socialize with others, and indicated she required staff assistance for showers. However, shower records showed she received only one shower over several weeks, and there was no documentation of a wheelchair assessment in the medical record or therapy notes. An OT treatment note did not include a wheelchair assessment, and the Interim DON confirmed there was no evidence of any such assessment to recommend a proper wheelchair or positioning. The resident reported that the facility did not have a wheelchair that fit her, leaving her confined to her room and mostly in bed, and that she had only been showered once since admission. She stated she brought a shower chair from home because the facility had no way to give her a shower, but staff told her it was not safe to use, and a scheduled shower was canceled because staff were too busy. The Administrator confirmed that two bariatric wheelchairs had been ordered and delivered but neither fit the resident comfortably, and no further wheelchairs had been obtained. The ADON stated the available wheelchair was too tall and uncomfortable, that the facility was limited in wheelchair sizes, and that they were unable to find a safe shower chair for the resident. CNAs confirmed the resident did not have a fitting wheelchair, could not go to the shower room, was bathed in bed, and sat on the side of the bed to eat. During observation, the resident was unable to sit safely and comfortably in the bariatric wheelchair, and the ADON verified it was not safe for her to sit in it alone. The ADON also confirmed that only one shower was documented for the resident and stated that if showers were not documented, they did not occur.
We Help Long-Term Care Teams Stay Survey-Ready
We process and analyze inspection reports and plan of correction using AI to extract insights and trends so providers can improve care quality and stay ahead of compliance risks.