Lakewood Health System: Self-Medication Rights Violation - MN
The resident, identified in inspection records only as R39, was observed on the afternoon of February 17, 2026 with roughly a quarter inch of white facial hair across his lower face and neck. He told the surveyor he wanted to be shaved daily but couldn't remember the last time it had happened. His family member, reached by phone that evening, said R39 wanted daily shaving but wasn't sure staff had the time.
The next morning, R39 sat in the activity room doing exercises with other residents. Still unshaved. By mid-morning he was in a common sitting area watching television. Still unshaved. He told the inspector again that he needed to be shaved.
The nursing assistant who had completed his morning care that day acknowledged he had whiskers and said the bath aides usually handled shaving on Mondays. She said she had offered to shave him on other occasions but hadn't offered that morning.
A licensed practical nurse shaved R39 around 11 a.m. on February 18, roughly twenty minutes before she was interviewed by the inspector. She said nursing assistants were responsible for shaving residents, and that she hadn't known R39 wanted it done daily. She said she would talk to the unit manager about adding him to a treatment record to make sure staff offered it.
The director of nursing said her expectation was that staff offer shaving daily unless a care plan said otherwise. R39's care plan said otherwise only in that it required the shaving happen. There was no documented refusal in his record.
The facility, the director of nursing acknowledged in an email that afternoon, had no written policy on shaving residents at all.
R39 needed staff to do nearly everything for him. He could speak. He asked. For at least two days, the answer was that someone else would handle it, on a different shift, on a Monday.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Lakewood Health System from 2026-02-19 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: August 4, 2026 · Our methodology
Lakewood Health System in STAPLES, MN was cited for violations during a health inspection on February 19, 2026.
He told the surveyor he wanted to be shaved daily but couldn't remember the last time it had happened.
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.