Failure to Maintain Operable Bedside Lighting for Dependent Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure an operable light fixture above one resident's bed, compromising the resident's right to a safe, comfortable, and homelike environment. The resident had been readmitted with diagnoses including cholecystitis and dementia, with documentation indicating capacity to make medical decisions but moderately impaired cognitive skills for daily decision-making. The resident required substantial to maximal assistance with upper body dressing, toileting, and personal hygiene, and was dependent on staff for showering, lower body dressing, footwear, and transfers in and out of bed. During observation, the light fixture above the resident's bed was found to be inoperable and missing its cover, and there was no other light in the room except the roommate's bed light. Maintenance staff reported that a work order had been entered on the day of the observation, but also identified a prior entry in the maintenance log indicating the need for repair two days earlier. The Maintenance Supervisor was unable to provide a work order for the light fixture repair and acknowledged that lighting was important for CNAs to see during care and for safety. The facility's policy on a homelike environment required comfortable and adequate lighting in all areas, emphasizing sufficient general lighting in resident-use areas, which was not met in this resident's room.
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