Failure to Provide Privacy During Wound Care Treatments
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide full privacy to four residents during wound care treatments, as observed by surveyors. In multiple instances, staff conducted wound care procedures without ensuring that window blinds were closed and privacy curtains were fully engaged. This resulted in residents being exposed to view from outside areas such as the courtyard and parking lot, as well as to their roommates, during sensitive medical treatments. The facility's own policies require that privacy be provided during such care, including the use of privacy curtains and closed blinds. For one resident with a stage four sacral pressure ulcer, the wound care nurse performed the dressing change with the privacy curtain pulled but left the window blinds open, allowing full view from the courtyard. The nurse acknowledged during an interview that she did not think to close the blinds during the procedure. Another resident with dementia and skin breakdown had wound care performed with both the privacy curtain and window blinds open, exposing the resident to their roommate and anyone outside. The nurse completed the entire treatment without providing privacy. Additional observations included a resident with a left ankle wound who received care while sitting near a window with open blinds, in full view of the parking lot and visitors. The LPN did not close the blinds or provide other privacy measures. Similarly, another resident with osteomyelitis of the vertebra and sacral region underwent wound care with open blinds, exposing the resident to the parking lot and a resident outside. The LPN admitted during an interview that she did not think about closing the blinds during the procedure. In all cases, the Director of Nursing confirmed that the expectation was for full privacy to be provided, including closing both privacy curtains and window blinds during resident care.