Delayed Response to Resident Call Lights
Summary
The provider failed to ensure staff responded promptly to resident call lights for 11 of 16 sampled residents, including residents 6, 22, 30, 34, 36, 40, 41, 62, 64, 68, and 73. Multiple residents reported waiting extended periods for assistance after activating their call lights, with some describing waits of 15 minutes to 2 hours. Several residents stated that delayed responses affected their ability to get help with bathroom needs, personal care, repositioning, and transfers, and some reported becoming incontinent while waiting for staff. Resident interviews and call light logs showed repeated long response times. Resident 6 reported waits of 15 minutes to 2 hours, and his call light log documented waits over 20, 30, and 40 minutes. Resident 30 reported sometimes waiting a long time, and her log showed multiple waits over 20 and 30 minutes. Resident 64 reported long waits, including a 2-hour delay during shift change, and stated she became incontinent of urine when staff did not respond promptly; her log showed multiple waits over 20 and 30 minutes. Resident 34 reported long waits that led to incontinence and said staff sometimes did not give her the call light device; her log showed repeated waits over 20, 30, and 40 minutes. Resident 36 reported waiting 20 to 45 minutes for help, and his log showed 29 response times over 20 minutes, including 11 over 30 minutes. Resident 40 and her family member reported that she sometimes lost bladder control while waiting for bathroom assistance, and her log showed multiple waits over 20, 30, and 50 minutes. Additional observations showed call lights were sometimes not within residents’ reach or were not functioning. Resident 34 was observed unable to reach her call light, and staff later found it disconnected from the extender. Staff interviews confirmed that call lights were sometimes found out of reach. During the resident council meeting, residents reported long waits, call lights left out of reach, and concerns that staff were not on the floor because they were in the breakroom or smoking. Staff interviews reflected differing expectations for response times, ranging from 2 minutes to 15 minutes, and the DON and executive director acknowledged that response times were sometimes delayed, including when staff had to locate a lift or when call lights were turned off before needs were addressed. The facility did not have a call light policy.
Penalty
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