Failure to Ensure Resident Dignity, Privacy, and Timely Toileting Assistance
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the dignity, privacy, and respect of four residents during the provision of care, as evidenced by multiple observed incidents. In one case, the Director of Staff and Development (DSD) checked a resident's gastrostomy tube site without closing the privacy curtain, exposing the resident's abdominal area to the roommate and hallway. Both the DSD and the Director of Nursing (DON) acknowledged that privacy curtains should be closed to maintain resident dignity during care, and facility policy confirmed this requirement. Another incident involved a resident with bilateral nephrostomy bags, where the drainage bags were left uncovered and visible, exposing the contents to view. The DSD and DON confirmed that the facility's policy required the use of privacy covers for such devices to maintain resident dignity. The DON stated that this policy applied to all body fluid collection devices, including nephrostomy bags, and that the lack of a privacy cover was not in accordance with facility procedures. Additional deficiencies were observed when two nursing assistants provided care to a resident without being able to fully close the privacy curtain due to missing hooks, resulting in potential exposure when the door was opened. Furthermore, another resident was not offered the opportunity to use the bathroom for several hours and was left sitting in a urine-soaked brief, despite being able to communicate the need for toileting assistance. Staff interviews confirmed that the resident was not always incontinent and could request help, but was not consistently offered the chance to use the restroom, contrary to the resident's care plan and facility policy.