Nuuanu Hale: Resident Shower Preference Ignored - HI
That is what federal inspectors found when they visited Nuuanu Hale, a nursing facility on Pali Highway in Honolulu, in February 2025. The inspection identified a deficiency involving a single resident, identified in records as R32, whose preference for bathing more than twice a week was not being reliably honored.
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See the Derila PillowThe facility had R32 scheduled for showers on the evening shift. One certified nursing assistant, identified in the inspection report as CNA5, told inspectors she was aware the resident wanted to shower more frequently. When she worked in his area, she said, she would shower him daily, even if she happened to be on the day shift rather than the evening shift. She accommodated him because he liked it.
But CNA5 also told inspectors she was unsure how often R32 actually received showers on the evening shift. She could not say whether the evening staff was following through.
That gap, between what one attentive aide did on her own initiative and what the facility could reliably account for, was the problem inspectors documented.
Nursing homes are expected to honor residents' personal preferences, including something as basic as how often they bathe. For residents who cannot fully advocate for themselves or who depend entirely on staff for physical care, those preferences are not incidental. They are part of what distinguishes a care setting from a custodial one.
R32's preference was not a secret. CNA5 knew it. She acted on it when she could. The inspection report does not indicate that his preference was unknown to the facility or that anyone had decided to disregard it. What the record reflects is something more common and in some ways harder to fix: a preference that was acknowledged but not systematically ensured, honored by one staff member through individual initiative rather than by a care plan the whole team followed.
CNA5's willingness to give R32 a daily shower when she worked near him is not a criticism of her. It reflects attentiveness. But it also means his access to something he valued depended on which aide showed up, rather than on a consistent plan.
Inspectors classified the deficiency at the lowest level of harm, noting minimal harm or potential for actual harm, and recorded that few residents were affected. Nuuanu Hale was not cited for abuse, neglect, immediate jeopardy, or any pattern of systemic failure across multiple residents. The inspection report does not describe any physical harm to R32.
The facility's address is 2900 Pali Highway. For information on the nursing home's plan to correct the deficiency, CMS directs the public to contact the facility or the Hawaii state survey agency directly.
What the inspection leaves open is the ordinary texture of R32's days, the ones when CNA5 was not on his unit, the evenings when someone else was responsible, and whether he got what he wanted then. CNA5 told inspectors she did not know. The inspection report does not say anyone else did either.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Nuuanu Hale from 2025-02-06 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Corrections: We strive for accuracy in everything we publish. If you believe any fact in this article is incorrect, please contact us with details, and we will review and correct it promptly.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: November 14, 2026 · Our methodology
NUUANU HALE in HONOLULU, HI was cited for violations during a health inspection on February 6, 2025.
That is what federal inspectors found when they visited Nuuanu Hale, a nursing facility on Pali Highway in Honolulu, in February 2025.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.