Failure to Treat Resident with Respect and Dignity
Penalty
Summary
A resident with diagnoses including hypotension, unsteadiness, nervous system degeneration due to alcohol, and unspecified dementia was involved in an incident where a staff member used disrespectful language. During an interaction, the resident, who had a moderate cognitive impairment as indicated by a BIMS score of 12, expressed frustration and raised his hand at a nurse. The nurse, startled by the resident's actions, responded by telling the resident to "please settle down and stop acting like a a**." This exchange was documented in the resident's health status note and was later reported as a facility event. Interviews with staff and review of facility policies confirmed that such language is considered inappropriate and not in line with the expected standards of professional conduct or resident rights, which require all residents to be treated with kindness, respect, and dignity. The incident was acknowledged by the staff member involved, and other staff interviewed agreed that the language used was disrespectful and not acceptable according to facility policy.