Failure to Secure Resident Care Sheets and Maintain Confidentiality
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of residents' personal and medical records by leaving care sheets containing private information exposed and unattended on medication carts in accessible areas. On multiple occasions, staff members, including an LPN, RN, and TMA, left care sheets with sensitive information for multiple residents visible on top of medication carts in hallways and near common areas. These unattended documents were observed by surveyors as staff and residents passed by, with the information remaining exposed for several minutes each time. Interviews with the involved staff confirmed that the care sheets contained private patient information and should not have been left unattended or exposed. The DON acknowledged that leaving such documents out in the open constituted a HIPAA violation and compromised resident dignity and privacy. Facility policy also explicitly prohibits leaving care sheets or other client-identifying papers unattended or visible.