Failure to Accommodate Resident Needs Due to Inoperable Elevator
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of multiple residents when the only elevator in the building became nonfunctional and remained out of service. Upon surveyor entrance, the main floor elevator was observed with a sign stating "Do not use," and the Maintenance Director reported that the elevator had been broken for several days and that residents on the second floor would need to stay on that floor. The Maintenance Director also stated that the repair company had not returned calls. Facility policy on Accommodation of Needs required that residents be treated with respect and dignity and that reasonable accommodations be made for individual needs and preferences to help them maintain independent functioning, dignity, and well-being. Four residents with various medical conditions reported feeling confined to their floor and unable to access preferred activities and areas on the first floor due to the broken elevator. One resident with diagnoses including hypertension, diabetes, and depression stated feeling confined and unable to get off the floor, noting they liked to go downstairs. Another resident with depression, cerebral palsy, and cerebral infarction reported not having been on the first floor recently and missing visits to vending machines and a friend whose room was downstairs. A third resident with depression, hypertension, and diabetes, who used a wheelchair, stated they liked to go to the first-floor community room for free coffee, which was not available on their floor. A fourth resident with hypertension, muscle weakness, and a fracture stated they would go downstairs if the elevator worked to watch a big TV, play games, get snacks from vending machines, and mingle with others. The Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that the facility failed to accommodate the needs of these residents.
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