Non-Functional Call Lights in Resident Bathrooms and Bathing Areas Not Reported or Repaired
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that resident call lights in bathrooms and bathing areas were functional and operating as required. During an observation period with the Director of Maintenance (DOM), call lights for four residents were tested and found not to activate outside the rooms. For two of these residents, the call lights did not light up outside the room when tested, and the DOM stated he thought the light bulbs had gone bad. For the other two residents, their call lights did not activate outside the room and also did not ring at the nurses’ station when pressed, which was confirmed by both a Registered Nurse (RN) and the DOM. Further interviews and record reviews showed that these non-functioning call lights had not been reported through the facility’s work order system. A Maintenance Assistant stated that non-working call lights were an ongoing issue and that he was sure some were outstanding. Review of electronic work orders for the relevant period did not show any entries for the rooms where the call lights were found to be non-functional. The facility’s policy on call lights states that staff are educated on proper use of the call system, including ensuring resident access, and that staff will report problems with call lights or the call system immediately to a supervisor and/or maintenance director and provide immediate or alternative solutions until the problem can be remedied. This policy was not followed for the four residents identified in the complaint investigation.
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