Failure to Honor Resident's Shower Care Preferences and Dignity
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor a resident's expressed preference for female CNAs to assist with showers, resulting in repeated assignments of a male CNA despite the resident's clear and ongoing requests. The resident, who had intact cognition and required supervision or touching assistance for activities of daily living, reported feeling uncomfortable, embarrassed, and experiencing a loss of dignity due to the facility's disregard for her wishes. The resident's preference was communicated multiple times to staff, yet male CNAs continued to be assigned to her on scheduled shower days. Interviews and record reviews revealed that the Director of Staff Development (DSD) was aware of the resident's preference but failed to document or communicate this requirement in the daily staff assignment sheets, leading to the oversight. The male CNA assigned was not informed of the resident's preference, and the Director of Nursing (DON) acknowledged that such preferences should be honored and clearly communicated. Facility policies reviewed indicated a commitment to resident privacy, dignity, and respect, but these were not upheld in this instance.