The resident, identified as R801 in inspection records, told investigators on August 27 that they "finally got a shower yesterday but was not regularly receiving them and often only received a bed bath." The resident noted they needed showers "to ensure cleanliness."
Records show R801 was supposed to receive showers twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays during day shift. But a 30-day review revealed a pattern of missed care.
On Friday August 1, staff gave R801 a bed bath instead of the scheduled shower. The following Tuesday, August 5, another bed bath replaced the shower. Friday August 7 brought nothing at all.
Tuesday August 12 passed with no hygiene care provided. Friday August 15 finally brought a shower. But Tuesday August 19 meant another bed bath, and Friday August 22 again brought nothing.
Only Tuesday August 26 delivered the scheduled shower that R801 mentioned to inspectors the next day.
The inspection records contain no notes indicating R801 refused showers on dates when nothing was provided. There were also no notes showing the resident preferred bed baths over showers on the dates when staff substituted one for the other.
R801 was alert and cognitively intact, scoring 14 out of 15 on a mental status assessment. The resident had been admitted with type II diabetes and acute respiratory failure.
A complaint filed with state regulators alleged insufficient staffing prevented residents from receiving scheduled showers. When inspectors arrived August 27 at 9:30 AM, they found R801 lying in bed, alert and able to answer questions.
The certified nursing assistant assigned to R801, identified as CNA F, told inspectors that showers "generally are given twice per week." When asked about providing showers versus bed baths, CNA F said they give residents showers "as that is what they prefer."
But the care records told a different story. Of eight scheduled shower times over 30 days, R801 received actual showers only three times. Staff provided bed baths four times and no hygiene care at all on three occasions.
The administrator told inspectors that a grievance about showers had been submitted the day before the inspection but "had not been fully completed."
Federal inspectors cited the facility for failing to provide care and assistance with activities of daily living. The violation carried a designation of "minimal harm or potential for actual harm" and affected "few" residents.
The inspection was triggered by the complaint about inadequate staffing affecting shower schedules. Medilodge of Livingston is located at 3003 W Grand River in Howell.
R801's experience illustrates how staffing shortages can cascade into basic care failures. Missing more than half of scheduled showers over a month represents a fundamental breakdown in hygiene assistance for a resident who clearly understood the importance of staying clean.
The facility's task records documented each missed shower and substitute bed bath, creating a paper trail of systematic care failures. Yet nowhere in those same records did staff note any resident preference or refusal that might explain the pattern.
When the complaint reached state regulators, it took federal inspectors just one day of observation and record review to confirm the allegations. They found a resident who had waited until the day before their visit to finally receive proper hygiene care after weeks of inadequate substitutes.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Medilodge of Livingston from 2025-08-27 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.