Resident Restrained with Improper Use of Sheet and Clothing
Penalty
Summary
A resident was found seated in a wheelchair with a sheet tied around their waist and secured in a double knot, as well as wearing johnny pants that had been applied backwards with the ties positioned in the back and also double knotted. These actions were performed by a Certified Nurse's Assistant (CNA) who stated that the interventions were intended to deter the resident from accessing and removing their brief, as the resident was known to shred and remove it. The CNA admitted to not being able to locate a belt and therefore used the sheet and johnny pants as alternatives. These interventions were not part of the resident's care plan. The CNA confirmed during an interview that they had received training on abuse, neglect, restraints, and resident rights, but did not recognize their actions as inappropriate or as a form of restraint. The facility's investigation determined that the use of the sheet and backwards johnny pants, both double knotted, constituted a restraint and violated the resident's rights, amounting to abuse. The facility's policy clearly prohibits such actions, defining them as unreasonable confinement and restraint, and requires that residents be free from abuse, neglect, and harm.