Cold shower water on the 4th floor
Summary
The facility failed to ensure water was at a comfortable temperature in the fourth-floor shower rooms for two residents. Resident council minutes documented that residents on the 4th floor reported the green hallway and shower room was cold, and that residents on N2 and N4 asked whether the water could be warmer. The facility told residents that, per State regulations, hot water boilers could only be set between 95 and 110 degrees. Resident R161 had an admission date of 08/01/25, a BIMS score of 13 out of 15, required substantial/maximal assistance for bathing, and had diagnoses including primary osteoarthritis of both shoulders and lymphedema. R161’s comprehensive MDS stated it was very important to choose between a tub bath, shower, bed bath, or sponge bath, but the care plan contained nothing about bathing or showering. Shower/bathing documentation showed R161 received bed baths except for one shower, and R161 stated the shower water was always too cold, so he/she had resorted to bed baths after reporting the issue to caregivers for more than a month without resolution. Resident R15 had an admission date of 12/01/22, a BIMS score of 11 out of 15, was dependent for bathing, and had diagnoses including cancer, fusion of the spine, and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia not in remission. R15’s comprehensive MDS stated it was somewhat important to choose between a tub bath, shower, bed bath, or sponge bath, but the care plan also contained nothing about bathing or showering. Shower/bathing documentation showed R15 received only bed baths, and R15 stated satisfaction with care except that bed baths were used because the shower water was too cold. During interviews, an LPN stated residents sometimes complained the shower water was too cold, and the DOM measured the hot water in a 4th-floor shower stall at 92.5 degrees F, stating shower heads insert air and lower the temperature compared with resident sinks.
Penalty
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