Failure to Keep Call Light Within Reach for Dependent Resident
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure a resident’s call light was kept within reach as required by the resident’s care plan and facility policy. The resident was an older male with schizophrenia, hypertension, dementia, and cirrhosis, with a BIMS score of 3 indicating severe cognitive impairment, but was able to understand others and verbally make his needs known. His MDS indicated he required maximum assistance with toileting hygiene, showering, and dressing, and moderate assistance with personal hygiene. His care plan included a focus on call light use, cognition, and safety awareness, with an intervention to keep the call light within reach and to remind him of its location. During an observation and interview, the resident was seen in bed with a lot of movement, and his call light was on the bedside table out of his reach. At that time, he verbally requested cookies and juice. RN A stated she was unaware the resident could not reach the call light and acknowledged it should have been left within reach. NA B reported she had repositioned the resident earlier that day and believed she had placed the call light within reach before leaving the room to get supplies, but the resident was ultimately left without access to it. The DON and Administrator both stated it was not acceptable for residents to be unable to reach their call lights and confirmed that facility policy required call lights to be placed within easy reach of residents.
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