Failure to Ensure Resident Privacy and Dignity During Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide privacy and promote dignity for six residents during care activities, as observed by surveyors. Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) assisted residents with eating while standing over them, rather than sitting at eye level, which did not respect the residents' dignity. Residents involved had significant cognitive impairments and required varying levels of assistance with eating. Staff interviews confirmed awareness that proper feeding assistance should involve sitting with residents, but this was not consistently practiced. Additionally, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) performed wound care and enteral feeding without ensuring adequate privacy. In several instances, window blinds were left open during personal care, exposing residents to potential view from outside or from roommates. Privacy curtains were not always used, and in one case, a resident's buttocks were exposed to an open window while being changed. The residents affected had diagnoses such as Parkinson's Disease, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's Disease, and severe cognitive impairment. Staff acknowledged after the fact that privacy measures, such as closing blinds and curtains, should have been implemented.