F0919

E

Inaccessible Bathroom Call Bell Systems for Two Residents

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Survey Completed on 01-23-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s maintenance of a fully functioning resident call bell system in resident bathrooms and bathing areas. The facility’s policy dated 8/27/25 stated that each resident must be provided with a means to call staff directly for assistance from the bed, toileting/bathing facilities, and from the floor. ADA Standards for Accessible Design require that emergency call system pull cords be accessible to individuals with disabilities, reachable from a seated or fallen position, with operating mechanisms within a reach range of 15 to 48 inches from the floor. During the survey, the call systems in certain resident restrooms did not meet these accessibility expectations.

On 1/20/26, observations revealed that the bathroom call lights for two residents, identified as R10 and R46, consisted only of a short chain of approximately three inches extending from the wall, with no attached string or call pendant. This configuration did not provide residents with an accessible means to activate the call system from typical positions of need. In a subsequent interview on 1/23/26, the Nursing Home Administrator and the DON confirmed that the facility failed to maintain a fully functioning resident call bell system that allows residents to call for staff assistance through a communication system relaying the call directly to staff or a centralized work area in two of five rooms reviewed. The deficiency was cited under 28 Pa Code 207.2(a) (Administrator’s responsibility) and 28 Pa Code 205.28(c)(1)(4) (Nurses station).