Call Bells Not Kept Within Reach for Two Dependent Residents
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that resident call bells were within reach for two residents, contrary to facility policy and care plan interventions. The facility’s call system policy dated January 22, 2026, states that each resident must be provided with a means to call staff directly for assistance from the bed and other areas. Resident 32 had a quarterly MDS showing she was sometimes understood and sometimes able to understand others, required staff assistance for daily care, and had Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Her care plan, initiated in 2019 with an intervention added in 2021, directed staff to encourage her to use the call bell and to assure the call pendant was in place and functioning properly. On observation, she was found lying in bed with her call pendant placed on the nightstand out of reach. The DON stated at that time that the resident was unable to use the call pendant, then placed it around her neck. In interviews, the resident first indicated she would push the button on her pendant to call a nurse, and later stated she had been told there was a bell somewhere to use; at that later observation, she was wearing the pendant and had a tap bell on her overbed table that was not within reach. Resident 78’s annual MDS indicated he was usually understood and usually able to understand others, required staff assistance for daily care, and had dementia and a history of stroke. His care plan directed staff to encourage him to use the call bell for assistance. During observation, he was found lying in bed with his call pendant on the nightstand out of reach. At the time of this observation, a nurse aide acknowledged that the resident should have had his call pendant within reach. In a subsequent interview, the resident demonstrated his call pendant hanging around his neck when asked how he would call for a nurse. The DON stated that all residents who are able to use their call pendants should have them within reach, confirming that the observed placement of the pendants on the nightstands, out of reach, was inconsistent with facility expectations and policy.
Plan Of Correction
This plan of correction is prepared and executed because it is required by the provisions of the state and federal regulations and not because Indiana Skilled Nursing INC dba Beacon Ridge agrees with the allegations and citations listed on the statement of deficiencies. Indiana Skilled Nursing INC dba Beacon Ridge maintains that the alleged deficiencies do not, individually and collectively, jeopardize the health and safety of the residents, nor are they of such character as to limit our capacity to render adequate care as prescribed by regulation. This plan of correction shall operate as Indiana Skilled Nursing INC dba Beacon Ridge written credible allegation of compliance. By submitting this plan of correction, Indiana Skilled Nursing INC dba Beacon Ridge does not admit to the accuracy of the deficiencies. This plan of correction is not meant to establish any standard of care, contract, obligation, or position, and Indiana Skilled Nursing INC dba Beacon Ridge reserves all rights to raise all possible contentions and defenses in any civil or criminal claim, action or proceeding. The facility is unable to retroactively correct the observation for Resident 32 and 78; when it was identified it was corrected at that time. There were no ill effects noted. The Director of Nursing and/or designee will re-educate current facility staff, including agency staff, on assuring the call pendants and/or tap bells are within reach. New/agency Nursing staff will be educated upon onboarding, assuring the call pendants and/or tap bells are within reach of residents. The Director of Nursing and/or designee will complete random audits 3 times a week for 2 weeks, weekly for 2 weeks and then monthly for 2 months to assure the call pendants and/or tap bells are within reach. Audit results will be reviewed by the facility Quality Assurance Performance Improvement Committee to determine compliance or need for continuation of audits.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to provide requested enabler bars: A resident with HF, HTN, and renal insufficiency was assessed by OT as needing assist bars for bed mobility, but the resident remained without enabler bars despite stating she had requested them since admission. Nursing and OT staff confirmed the bars were not in place, and OT indicated the observation/order process likely was never entered.
Call lights were not kept within reach for five residents reviewed for residents' rights. Residents with diagnoses including bipolar disorder, stroke, TBI, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, PTSD, diabetes, schizoaffective disorder, OCD, and unsteadiness on feet were observed with call lights placed under beds, hung on wall hooks out of reach, or coiled and pinned so they could not independently access them. An LPN and the DON stated the call lights should have been within the residents' reach.
A resident with a Right Femur Fracture, Anxiety Disorder, and moderate cognitive impairment was repeatedly observed in bed with the call light clipped onto itself at the head of the mattress, out of view and reach. The resident could not identify how to contact staff at times and stated they wanted the call light where they could see and reach it; the UM and DON confirmed call lights are to be kept within resident reach.
A resident with moderate cognitive impairment and significant care needs had ongoing difficulty using the standard call light, but the record had no formal assessment of call light ability and no adaptive call light was tried. The resident and family reported delayed responses and confusion about whether the call light had been activated, while an NA said the resident complained almost daily that staff did not answer. The DON confirmed the resident did not like a pancake call light, but no formal assessment had been completed.
A resident with intact cognition, generalized weakness, and COPD was found in bed on multiple observations with the call system device tucked inside the nightstand drawer and out of reach. The care plan directed staff to keep the call light within reach, and the DON confirmed it should have been placed within the resident’s reach.
A resident with paraplegia and bilateral above-the-knee amputations was observed in bed with his call light on the floor and out of reach on multiple occasions. He was alert and oriented, able to use the call light, and stated he could not reach it to ask for help with his menu, nasal cannula, or breakfast. Staff confirmed the call light should have been within his reach, and the facility policy required call lights to remain within reach for residents able to use them.
Failure to Provide Requested Enabler Bars
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to reasonably accommodate Resident R105’s need and preference for enabler bars on the bed. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including heart failure, high blood pressure, and renal insufficiency. An OT evaluation dated 7/22/26 documented that the resident required assistance with bed mobility and could complete it with stand-by assistance if assist bars were present, but the resident’s clinical record on 8/5/26 did not include an observation for enabler bars. During an observation on 8/3/26, Resident R105 was lying in bed and stated she wanted enabler bars to help position herself in bed and had asked for them since admission but had not heard back. An RN confirmed the resident did not have enabler bars and said she would look into it. On 8/5/26, the resident was again observed resting in bed without enabler bars. An OT employee stated the process was for therapy to determine whether residents could use their upper extremities, then nursing would enter an observation for enabler bars and maintenance would be notified, and another OT employee stated the resident would benefit from enabler bars and that the observation probably never got entered into the computer.
Call Lights Not Within Reach for Multiple Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure call lights were within reach for 5 of 18 residents reviewed for residents' rights: Residents #29, #50, #51, #56, and #57. The facility's policy, "Answering the Call Light," revised September 2022, stated that call lights should be accessible to residents when in bed, from the toilet, from the shower or bathing facility, and from the floor. Resident #51, who had diagnoses including acquired absence of the left leg below the knee, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorder, was observed with the call light button under the bed against the wall and not accessible. Resident #56, who had diagnoses including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer's disease, was observed lying in bed without the call light button, which was hanging on a wall hook about five feet high and out of reach; she was unable to self-ambulate, could not get out of bed, and did not verbally communicate. Resident #29, who had diagnoses including schizophrenia, PTSD, and diabetes, was observed with the call light plugged into the wall above the bed, hanging down to the floor under the bed and not within independent reach. Resident #57, who had diagnoses including schizophrenia, anxiety, and unsteadiness on feet, was observed with the call light plugged into the wall above the bed with the cord coiled and pinned to itself and not within independent reach. Resident #50, who had diagnoses including schizoaffective disorder and OCD, was observed with the call light plugged into the wall near the foot of the bed, coiled and pinned to itself and not within reach. Staff interviews confirmed the call lights for these residents should have been within reach and were not.
Call Light Not Kept Within Resident Reach
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that R15’s call light was kept within reach. On 07/28/2026, R15 was observed lying in bed with the call light hanging over the top left edge of the head of the bed and clipped onto itself at the side of the mattress, out of view and reach. When asked how they would contact staff for assistance, R15 could not provide a response, and when asked about the call light, stated that sometimes it was with them but not always. R15’s EMR showed admission to the facility with diagnoses including Right Femur Fracture and Anxiety Disorder. The MDS indicated moderate cognitive impairment and maximum assistance with most self-care tasks, and the ADL care plan included the intervention to encourage use of the call light and keep it within reach. On 07/29/2026 and 07/30/2026, R15 was again observed with the call light clipped onto itself on the left side of the mattress at the head of the bed, out of the resident’s view and reach. R15 stated they did not know where the call light was and said they would prefer to be able to see and reach it. The UM and DON both confirmed that call lights are to be kept within resident reach, and the facility policy for unit rounds included checking that the call light was placed appropriately.
Failure to Assess Call Light Use and Provide Adaptive Call Light
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to assess a resident’s ability to independently activate the call light and did not provide a reasonable accommodation, such as an adaptive call light, after staff became aware of ongoing difficulty using the standard call system. The resident had a quarterly MDS identifying moderate cognitive impairment and diagnoses including chronic kidney disease, a sacral pressure ulcer, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension. The resident required substantial to maximal assistance with bathing and was dependent on staff for all other care areas, with a care plan directing staff to respond promptly to toileting requests, provide a bedpan when safely possible, and keep the call light in reach. During interview, the resident stated she could push the call button but staff did not come for over two hours, while a family member said the resident had difficulty pushing the call light at times and sometimes believed it had been activated when it had not. The resident’s record contained no assessment of call light ability. A nursing assistant reported the resident complained almost daily that she had turned on the call light and staff did not answer, and said this had been reported to nursing without change. The DON stated the resident had complained of long wait times, but call light logs showed the resident had not turned on the call light; the DON also stated the resident did not like a pancake call light, yet no formal call light assessment had been completed and no different adaptive call light had been tried.
Call Light Not Kept Within Resident’s Reach
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a call system was accessible for one resident who had diagnoses including high blood pressure, prostate cancer, generalized muscle weakness, and COPD. The resident’s MDS assessment dated May 11, 2026, showed intact cognition and dependence on staff for activities of daily living, including toileting, dressing, and personal hygiene. The care plan identified the resident as at risk for falls and directed staff to keep the call light within reach for assistance as needed. However, on multiple observations, the resident was found in bed with the call system device tucked inside the top drawer of the nightstand, out of reach. The DON confirmed that the call system device should have been placed within the resident’s reach.
Call Light Left Out of Reach
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that Resident 121’s call light was within reach so he could summon staff assistance. Resident 121 had diagnoses of paraplegia, left above-the-knee amputation, and right above-the-knee amputation. His baseline care plan documented that he was a fall risk, that staff should anticipate and meet his needs, and that he did not have cognitive impairment. A daily skilled note documented that he was oriented to person, place, time, and situation but required supervision for safety. During observations, Resident 121 was found lying in bed with his call light on the floor and out of reach on two separate occasions. On one observation, he had his breakfast tray on the over-bed table with a pencil and paper to complete his menu, but he stated he could not reach the call light to ask for help because it was on the floor. On another observation, he again could not reach the call light and stated he could not use it to ask for help with his nasal cannula or to ask about breakfast before leaving for an appointment. Staff interviews confirmed that he was able to use his call light and that it should have been within his reach at all times. The facility policy stated that staff would ensure call lights were within reach of residents who were able to cognitively use them each time staff left the room.
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