F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
D

Failure to Timely Empty Urinal Compromises Resident Dignity

Conroe Health Care CenterConroe, Texas Survey Completed on 04-11-2025

Summary

The facility failed to ensure that a resident was treated with respect and dignity by not emptying his urinal in a timely manner. The resident, an elderly male with muscle weakness, age-related debility, and Alzheimer's disease, required substantial assistance with toileting hygiene and was always continent. Observations revealed that the resident's urinal was often left partially full, and he reported that staff were slow to respond to his requests for assistance with emptying it. As a result, the resident was forced to empty the urinal himself into a cup and then into the trash can at his bedside, sometimes missing and causing spills, which led to staff being upset with him. Interviews with staff confirmed that there was no specific policy or frequency for emptying urinals, though both CNAs and nurses acknowledged it was their responsibility to do so when needed. Staff reported that urinals should be emptied to prevent backflow and contamination, but practices varied, and the resident's behavior of emptying his own urinal was not documented or addressed. The DON stated that urinals should be emptied when half full or less and that staff were expected to check on residents at least every two hours, but there was no formalized schedule or documentation of the resident's difficulties. Facility policies reviewed indicated that residents have the right to dignity and that staff should act upon information regarding resident preferences. However, the lack of timely assistance and failure to document or address the resident's need to have his urinal emptied resulted in the resident feeling uncomfortable and disrespected, as he had to manage the situation himself, sometimes resulting in spills and backflow during use.

Penalty

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0550 citations
Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Catheter Care and Dining
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

Failure to maintain resident dignity was identified when three residents with indwelling urinary catheters had drainage bags hanging on the bedframe without privacy covers, despite physician orders for privacy covers every shift. In addition, a resident who was ordered to be fed by staff was observed being fed by a nurse aide standing beside the bed during lunch, and the DON confirmed the dining experience was not dignified.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Dressing Assistance
D
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, anxiety, and osteoarthritis was observed sitting naked on the bed in full view of the hallway while a CNA assisted with dressing. The care plan directed staff to assist with dressing, and the CNA stated the curtain had not been pulled after returning the resident from the bathroom. The ED confirmed the facility failed to maintain the resident's dignity.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Provide Dignified Dining Experience
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

Failure to provide a dignified dining experience: Four residents with significant diagnoses, including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, cerebral palsy, TBI, and dysphagia, were brought to the assistive dining room for lunch but were not served their trays until more than 50 minutes after the posted mealtime. While other residents were already being assisted with eating, these residents were left watching the meal service, and the DON stated they should have been served at the same time as the others or not brought in until their trays were ready.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Protect Resident Dignity During Insulin Administration
D
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A facility failed to protect the dignity of two residents when an LPN administered insulin injections in the commons area in full view of surveyors, staff, and other residents. The LPN lifted each resident’s shirt, cleansed the injection site, and gave the subcutaneous insulin injection publicly rather than in a private area.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Late Meal Service and Public Medication Administration
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, depression, and anxiety was seated in the dining room while other residents ate, but the lunch tray was not served with the group on two occasions. In a separate event, an LVN administered oral meds to another resident with intellectual disability and cerebral palsy in the dining room while wearing gloves, rather than in a private setting, which staff stated was not the facility’s practice and could be seen as disrespectful.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Unauthorized Shaving of Resident's Beard
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia and Alzheimer's disease had his beard completely shaved by two CNAs without his RP's consent. The RP stated the resident had worn his beard for many years and had not been seen without it, and the DON stated the RP should have been notified because the resident lacked capacity to make decisions for himself. The facility policy required staff to ask the resident or, when appropriate, the resident representative about grooming preferences upon admission.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Citation search

Search every citation & Plan of Correction

Go to search
Citation watch

Track new serious citations across Texas

Get a heads-up on the newest immediate-jeopardy (J–L) citations in Texas — where surveyors are focused right now.

Free · about one email a month

Trusted data from CMS and state health departments

Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release October 8, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.

In your survey window? See what surveyors are citing.

The Survey-Prep Report maps your facility's risk from 12 months of CMS and state citation data — what's being cited around you and what to check first. $129 one-time.

Get the Survey-Prep Report
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙

Connection lost — reconnecting… We couldn't reconnect automatically. Please reload the page to continue.