F0685

E

Failure to Follow Up on Community Resources for Hearing Aids

Abbeville, Louisiana Survey Completed on 01-29-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The facility failed to ensure a resident received proper treatment and assistive devices to maintain hearing abilities by not following up with community resources. The resident, who was cognitively intact with a BIMS score of 13 and had moderate hearing difficulty requiring increased volume and distinct speech, had a care plan problem for altered communication related to being hard of hearing and recurrent cerumen impaction, with a noted need for hearing aids. The care plan documented that paperwork for hearing aids had been sent with the family but not returned due to financial issues. In an interview, the resident reported having waited months for hearing aids and stated the facility told her they were waiting on a company to get the devices, while the surveyor had to speak very loudly for the resident to hear.

Record review and interviews with the Social Services Director (SSD) showed that the resident had been seen by an ENT specialist and was recommended for a hearing program that required an application fee the resident could not afford. The SSD documented that the ENT office stated the resident could not participate in the program without paying the fee and that the resident was referred to another community provider for assistance with hearing devices. The SSD later learned that this community provider saw the resident and referred her to a second provider for an evaluation to assist with obtaining hearing aids, but the evaluation was never scheduled. The SSD acknowledged she did not follow up with either community provider after communication with the family ceased and did not pursue other assistance or resources for hearing aids from that time until questioned by the surveyor, despite facility policy assigning social services responsibility for making referrals and obtaining needed services from outside entities.