Failure to Maintain Resident Privacy During Personal Care
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when staff failed to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of a resident who required assistance with personal care. The resident, who had intact cognition and was dependent on staff for toileting hygiene and personal hygiene due to conditions such as hemiparesis, chronic lung disease, and COPD, was observed during care with the door to his shared room left open. The privacy curtain was not fully drawn, and a mirror on the wall reflected the resident's exposed genitals as a nursing assistant changed his incontinence brief. This allowed visibility from the hallway, compromising the resident's privacy. Interviews with staff confirmed that facility expectations were to close the door and fully pull the privacy curtain during personal care to protect resident dignity and privacy. The nursing assistant involved acknowledged that the curtain could have been closed further to prevent exposure, and this was demonstrated during the survey. The facility's policy on resident rights and privacy was requested but not provided during the survey.