Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity and Personal Hygiene
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to provide care in a manner that promoted dignity and respect for five residents, as evidenced by multiple observations of food spills on clothing and dirty, jagged fingernails. Facility policies on dignity and routine resident checks required staff to ensure residents' well-being and maintain a clean, neat appearance, but these were not consistently followed. For example, one resident with diabetes and impaired vision was observed with food on his hospital gown after breakfast, despite being dependent on staff for personal hygiene and requiring assistance with eating. Another resident with multiple sclerosis, who was dependent on staff for all ADLs, was seen with food on his shirt and overbed table after breakfast, with no meal tray present, indicating the meal had already been completed. A third resident with vascular dementia and intellectual disabilities was repeatedly observed throughout the day and on multiple days wearing T-shirts with visible orange stains, and staff interviews confirmed that he would only change his shirt if prompted. Additional residents, including those on hospice care, were observed with dirty, jagged, or untrimmed fingernails and dried food on their hands, face, and clothing, with no evidence that staff had addressed these hygiene needs. Interviews with staff and the administrator confirmed expectations for regular rounding and personal hygiene assistance, but the observations indicated these expectations were not met. The failure to provide timely and adequate assistance with personal hygiene and clothing cleanliness had the potential to diminish the quality of life for the affected residents, contrary to facility policy and regulatory requirements for dignity and respect.