Failure to Respect Resident Privacy During Visitor Interaction
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to respect the privacy of a resident who was fully alert and oriented, as evidenced by a BIMS score of 15 out of 15. The incident occurred when a housekeeper observed a visitor in the resident's room using a phone, which the resident stated was for the purpose of Facetiming the visitor's mother and sharing family photos, activities that had occurred multiple times before without issue. The housekeeper approached the visitor, told them they could not use their phone, and then reported the situation to the Director of Nursing after the visitor responded dismissively. The resident expressed that they did not see any problem with the visitor's actions and felt that the staff member should not have intervened. The housekeeper stated that she tells everyone not to have their cell phone out, but did not observe the visitor taking pictures outside the resident's room. The administrator confirmed that residents have the right to Facetime with visitors in their rooms. At the time of the incident, the resident was alone with the visitor and no other residents were present.