Failure to Develop Care Plan for Resident with Hearing Loss
Summary
The facility failed to develop an individual, written care plan addressing hearing loss for one resident with documented hearing impairment. The resident was admitted with a history of left hip replacement and dependence on supplemental oxygen, and was not their own responsible party. Despite information in the referral packet and assessments by the Activities Director and Speech Therapist indicating the resident was hard of hearing, no care plan was created to address this need. The Registered Nurse job description assigned responsibility for care plan development, but this was not carried out for the resident's hearing loss. Interviews with the resident's family member revealed that staff were unaware of the resident's hearing impairment, and the communication board in the room was left blank. The Director of Nursing confirmed the absence of a hearing loss care plan after reviewing the resident's records. The lack of a care plan for hearing loss had the potential to place the resident at risk for social isolation and mood or behavior disorders, as staff were not informed or guided on how to address the resident's communication needs.
Penalty
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release June 24, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
Trusted by long-term care providers and associations.
