Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity and Privacy During Care
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to maintain a resident's dignity and privacy during morning care. A resident with multiple sclerosis, who was cognitively intact but dependent on staff for bed mobility and toileting, was observed lying uncovered on her bed while staff provided peri-care. During this time, the privacy curtain was not drawn around the bed. Another staff member knocked, was told care was in progress, but still entered the room and spoke to the staff with the door open, leaving the resident visible to others in the hallway. Interviews with staff and administrative personnel confirmed that facility expectations and policy require staff not to enter a resident's room during care and to maintain privacy. The facility's policy on promoting and maintaining resident dignity specifically states that residents' rights to privacy and dignity must be protected during care. The actions observed were inconsistent with these expectations and policies.