Staff Disclosed Resident's Diagnosis in Presence of Others, Violating Privacy and Dignity
Penalty
Summary
A staff member failed to treat a resident with dignity and respect by disclosing the resident's medical diagnosis and condition in the presence of another resident and within earshot of others during a mealtime. Specifically, the Activity Assistant (AA) stated out loud that the resident had Parkinson's disease, pointed out the resident's hand tremors, and mentioned the resident's hearing impairment while feeding the resident lunch. This disclosure was made without being prompted and occurred in a public setting where other residents were present. The resident involved had been admitted with diagnoses of Parkinsonism and dementia. The AA later acknowledged that sharing the resident's medical information in this manner was inappropriate and recognized it as a violation of privacy. The Director of Nursing confirmed that staff are not permitted to disclose residents' diagnoses or personal information in public areas, as this could affect the resident's dignity and self-esteem. Facility policy also requires that confidential clinical information be protected and that communication about residents be conducted outside the hearing range of others.