Breach of Resident Privacy and Confidentiality
Summary
The facility failed to ensure personal privacy and confidentiality for ten of sixteen sampled residents, as evidenced by videos posted on social media platforms without consent. These videos, which included residents dancing or appearing in the background, were recorded in various locations within the facility, including the secure memory care unit and hallways. The videos were originally posted by the Admissions Coordinator and subsequently reposted and edited by unknown users, leading to widespread dissemination across social media platforms. Several residents involved in the videos had severe cognitive impairments, as indicated by their medical records and assessments. For instance, one resident had a severe cognitive impairment score and was unable to communicate a willful and knowing health decision. Family members of these residents were not informed or asked for consent prior to the posting of the videos. Interviews with family members revealed that they were unaware of the social media postings and would not have consented to their loved ones being featured in such videos. The facility's policy on social media use explicitly prohibits the unauthorized taking, keeping, or distributing of photographs or recordings of residents, emphasizing the need to maintain resident privacy and confidentiality. Despite this policy, the Nursing Home Administrator and Regional Nurse Consultant were unaware of the videos until they were brought to their attention. The Admissions Coordinator, who was responsible for the original postings, was identified and subsequently suspended, with plans for termination. This incident highlights a significant breach of privacy and confidentiality protocols within the facility.
Plan Of Correction
1. Immediate action(s) taken for the resident(s) found to have been affected include: Facility contacted residents responsible parties/representatives/families of residents #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, and #16 to notify them that the residents were posted on social media by a staff member, without the facility's knowledge. Staff members were advised to remove all resident-related content from social media. All videos found were reported to the social media to remove videos. The legal department at Tik Tok was contacted to remove videos. Staff member was terminated. 2. Identification of other residents having the potential to be affected: Multiple social media platforms reviewed to identify any postings of facility residents. Facility-wide audit of all residents currently residing in the facility to verify photo consents are signed and present in the medical record. The photo consent form was revamped to include social media posting. The consent form does not permit staff to post on their personal pages. The consent clearly states for use on Lakeland Nursing and Rehab OPCO, LLC's official social media accounts. 3. Actions taken/systems put in place to reduce the risk of future occurrence include: RDCS/DCS/Designee re-educated staff on facility policies to include Neglect, Resident Rights, Social Media, and Personal Cell Phone Use. NHA has since created an official social media page for authorized facility-related content and is the authorized administrator of the page. Resident records will be reviewed for photo and social media consent prior to any posting of content. No phones are allowed to be out in patient care areas. Nursing Home Administrator/Designee will search social media weekly for postings related to our facility. 4. How the corrective action(s) will be monitored to ensure the practice will not reoccur: The Admissions Director/Designee will conduct an audit of new admission records to make certain records contain Photo Consent Form five times a week for 4 weeks, 3 times a week for 4 weeks, twice weekly for 4 weeks, then weekly and PRN as indicated. The Administrator/Designee will conduct reviews of social media (Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram) weekly for 8 weeks and every 2 weeks for 1 month, then monthly for 3 months and quarterly or PRN as indicated. Quality reviews will be completed once a week for 8 weeks and then every 2 weeks for 1 month. Quality reviews will be reviewed by the QAPI committee monthly for 3 months or until substantial compliance is met along with quarterly reviews.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
An LVN left a medication cart computer monitor active and unsecured during med pass, visibly displaying a resident’s eMAR and private clinical details in a hallway near resident rooms. The screen was left open a second time while the LVN stepped away to retrieve keys, and the LVN later acknowledged the exposure was an unauthorized sharing of PHI and a HIPAA violation. The DON, ADM, and CCN stated that leaving the terminal open allowed others to view private resident information.
Failure to Provide Privacy During Incontinent Care: A resident with severe cognitive impairment, an indwelling catheter, and assistance needs for ADLs was observed receiving perineal/incontinent care by two CNAs without the privacy curtain being drawn, leaving him exposed from the waist down while his roommate was in the room. The resident stated he felt uncomfortable and wanted the curtain closed every time. Staff acknowledged that privacy during care was required for dignity, but one CNA said he did not pull the curtain because he thought it was not working.
A CMA left a locked med cart unattended with the laptop screen unlocked, allowing A resident's personal medical information and medications to be visible. The CMA said she was not sure whether the screen needed to be locked or hidden when away from the cart, and later interviews confirmed the cart and laptop screen should be locked whenever staff step away.
Failure to provide privacy during wound care. An LPN assessed and applied a dressing to a resident while the resident was eating lunch, with the room door open and the privacy curtain not pulled. The interaction was visible from the hallway, and the LPN and Unit Manager confirmed privacy should have been provided and that dressing care should not occur during mealtime.
A resident’s pharmacy slip containing his name and medication information was left on the ledge of the nurse’s station and remained visible during repeated observations when no staff were present. The LVN said the slip should have been secured inside the nurse’s station, and the ADON, DON, and Administrator all identified the information as confidential and not meant to be left in view of others.
Improper Release of PHI: A staff member released a resident’s requested medical records to the resident’s son, but the packet also included skilled progress notes and other PHI for 12 unrelated residents. The error occurred when the staff member printed records from the EMR using only the first few letters of the resident’s name and did not recognize that multiple residents’ documents had been selected before sending the scanned records by secure email.
Unsecured eMAR Screen Exposed Resident Information
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of a resident’s personal and medical records for 1 of 13 residents reviewed. During an observation on 06/04/2026 at 8:39 AM during medication pass on Hall B, an LVN was observed walking away from the medication cart to administer medications while the cart’s computer monitor remained active and unsecured, visibly displaying the eMAR and private clinical details of a resident. The cart was positioned in the hallway near resident rooms, exposing the screen to residents passing through the corridor. During a second observation on 06/04/2026 at 8:42 AM, the same LVN again walked away from the Hall B medication cart to retrieve keys from another nurse, and the computer screen was again left fully open and active with residents’ private eMAR information displayed. In interviews later that morning, the LVN acknowledged that leaving a resident’s personal health information visible on an open monitor was an unauthorized sharing of patient information and a HIPAA violation. The DON, ADM, and CCN each stated that leaving a computer terminal open with resident information allows others to see private information that is not supposed to be shared, and that screen security is the responsibility of the nurse assigned to that cart and unit.
Failure to Provide Privacy During Incontinent Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure privacy during incontinent care for one resident. During an observation of perineal care with an indwelling catheter, CNA D and CNA E provided care to the resident without pulling the privacy curtain, leaving the resident nude from the waist down while care was being performed. The resident’s roommate was present in the room and was looking at his cell phone during the care. The resident was a male with diagnoses including heart failure, obstructive and reflux uropathy, unspecified dementia, and age-related physical debility. His MDS assessment reflected a BIMS score of 7, indicating severe cognitive impairment. He had an indwelling catheter, including a suprapubic catheter and nephrostomy tube, and required partial/moderate assistance with toileting hygiene, showering/bathing, personal hygiene, and dressing. His care plan stated that he required incontinent care promptly when found wet or soiled and that clothes and linens were to be kept clean, dry, and wrinkle free. During interview, the resident stated he did not feel okay when the privacy curtain was not closed while staff were cleaning his private parts because someone could enter the room, and his roommate could see him being exposed. He stated staff rarely pulled the privacy curtain when changing him or his roommate and that he wanted the curtain pulled every time he received incontinent care. Staff interviews reflected that privacy during incontinent care was expected and related to resident dignity, but CNA D stated he did not pull the curtain because he thought it was not working, and later said it did work when he checked it. The DON stated the facility policy was to have the curtain pulled during incontinent care and that staff were responsible for providing privacy.
Failure to Protect Resident Medical Record Privacy
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure staff secured and protected the privacy and confidentiality of Resident 8's medical record. On 06/02/26 at 07:55 AM, a CMA left a locked medication cart unattended with the laptop screen unlocked, and Resident 8's personal medical information and medications were visible on the screen. When the CMA returned at 07:57 AM, she confirmed she was assigned to that medication cart and stated she was not positive whether the screen needed to be locked or hidden when she was away from the cart. Later interviews confirmed that medication carts and laptop screens should be locked whenever a medication aide or nurse walks away from the cart. The facility's Confidentiality of Personal and Medical Records policy stated that residents have the right to secure and confidential personal and medical records, including confidentiality of all information contained in a resident's records regardless of the form of storage or location.
Failure to Provide Privacy During Wound Care
Penalty
Summary
Privacy during wound care was not provided for one sampled resident. During observation on 6/1/26 at 12:16 PM on the Dogwood unit, an LPN was preparing supplies from a wound care cart outside Resident #93's room while the resident sat on the side of the bed eating lunch. The LPN rolled up the resident's right shirt sleeve and began assessing the area where a bandage would be applied while the resident continued eating salad and the LPN documented and labeled the dressing. When ready to apply the dressing, the LPN asked the resident to put the salad down. The interaction was observed from the hallway with the door open and no privacy curtain pulled, and five people were seen walking by the room. The LPN later confirmed the door and privacy curtain were open and should have been closed for privacy during wound care. The Unit Manager also confirmed that it is never appropriate for a dressing to be applied or removed during mealtime and that privacy should always be provided for wound care.
Confidential resident medication slip left visible at nurse’s station
Penalty
Summary
Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential was not maintained when a pharmacy slip with Resident #1’s name and medication information was left on the ledge of the nurse’s station and remained there during two observations. Resident #1 was an [AGE] year-old male admitted to the facility with peripheral vascular disease and a non-pressure ulcer to the left calf. His MDS reflected that he was cognitively intact with a BIMS score of 13, and his care plan included treatment for an actual skin impairment related to a venous wound of the left calf. The pharmacy slip was observed on top of the nurse’s station ledge at 7:30 a.m. and again at 7:58 a.m., with no staff inside the nurse’s station during either observation. The slip contained the resident’s name and medication information. During interviews, an LVN stated the slip was the facility’s copy for the medication delivered for the resident and should have been secured inside the nurse’s station. The ADON and DON both stated the information should have been protected and kept confidential, and the Administrator stated the slip should not have been visible to others and noted the facility was correcting the same non-compliance from a prior visit.
Improper Release of Protected Health Information
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the confidentiality of residents’ protected health information when it released medical records for one resident to that resident’s son and included records belonging to 12 other residents. An email from the resident’s son notified the facility that the scanned packet contained a total of 786 pages and included information from other residents. Facility leadership later verified that the breach occurred when staff scanned requested medical information and sent it by secured email, resulting in protected health information for 12 unrelated residents being disclosed. During interview, the Managed Care Coordinator stated she printed a report from the EMR by entering the first few letters of the resident’s name, saw the resident’s name on the top page, and then scanned the information to the son without recognizing that multiple residents’ records had been selected. The report identified that skilled progress notes containing protected health information for 12 residents were included in the release. The facility policy required PHI to be handled, stored, and communicated in accordance with regulations and required that release of PHI be limited to authorized staff and logged.
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