Failure to Provide Private Telephone Access for Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide residents with reasonable access to a telephone in a private environment, as required by their own policy and resident rights. Observations and interviews revealed that the only available phone for resident use was a corded phone located at the nurses' station, an area with frequent staff presence and activity. Residents reported that they were unable to take the phone elsewhere, and staff and other individuals were often present during their calls, resulting in a lack of privacy. Staff interviews confirmed that residents were routinely brought to the nurses' desk to use the phone, and that there was no alternative location for private phone use. The facility previously had a cordless phone, but it was no longer available, and staff were unaware of its whereabouts. Two residents with intact cognitive skills, one with a history of schizophrenia, anxiety disorder, and cognitive communication deficit, and another with depression and anxiety disorder, specifically reported feeling that their phone conversations were not private and that staff could overhear their discussions. Staff acknowledged the lack of privacy and the high traffic at the nurses' station, and the administrator confirmed that there was no privacy for residents using the phone at that location. The deficiency was identified through observation, record review, and interviews with residents and staff.