Resident Denied Dignified Assistance with Toileting
Penalty
Summary
A resident with diagnoses including acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia, hemiplegia, hemiparesis, cerebral infarction, dysphagia, and Raynaud's syndrome, who was assessed as having no cognitive impairment and being dependent on staff for toileting, reported being denied assistance to use the bathroom upon returning from the hospital. The resident stated that after requesting to be taken to the bathroom due to an urgent need for a bowel movement, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) told him to use his incontinence brief instead of assisting him to the restroom, stating, "We aren't going to walk you in there today. You can just go in your depends and we can clean it up." The resident expressed shock and distress at this response and reported having to wait until the next shift for assistance, resulting in a significant mess that required cleaning. The CNA involved confirmed that the resident was already wet when she began changing him and, upon his request to use the bathroom, told him it was unnecessary since he was already wet. The CNA relayed the request to another aide but did not assist the resident further. The Director of Nursing acknowledged that staff are expected to honor resident requests to use the bathroom unless it is unsafe, which was not the case in this situation. The incident was identified as a dignity concern, as the resident's request for assistance with toileting was not respected, contrary to facility policy and residents' rights.