Tampered Call Light Not Maintained in Functional State for Dependent Resident
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to reasonably accommodate a resident’s needs and preferences when the resident’s call light was tampered with and rendered nonfunctional. The resident had dementia and blindness and relied on the call light to communicate needs. On one evening shift, a CNA delivering snacks observed a plastic item placed between the call light plug and the outlet, which interfered with the device. A licensed nurse on the same shift had noticed that the resident’s call light was not being activated as frequently as usual and, upon checking, also found a plastic tube between the call light plug and the outlet. The nurse removed the plastic tube, confirmed the resident was okay, and reinserted the call light plug directly into the outlet, restoring its function. The licensed nurse later reported that she again saw a plastic tube in the resident’s room several days after the initial incident and brought this to the attention of her supervisor. The DON stated that the nurse reported the call light concern after observing another plastic tube on the resident’s bedside table. The facility’s policy on answering call lights required that call lights be plugged in and functioning at all times and that all defective call lights be promptly reported to the nurse supervisor. Despite this policy, the resident’s call light had been tampered with, and the device was not maintained in a continuously functional state as required.
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