Failure to Secure Resident Care Information on Unattended Medication Carts
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to secure residents' personal and medical information on three of seven facility units, resulting in care sheets containing sensitive data being left unattended on mobile medication and treatment carts. These care sheets included resident names, room numbers, medication administration details, diagnoses, information on pressure ulcers, assistance required for transfers, adaptive equipment needs, infection control precautions, and personal care preferences. Multiple observations documented that these sheets were left visible and accessible in public areas, such as hallways, while staff were absent from the carts. Several staff members, including LPNs and RNs, acknowledged during interviews that the information should have been secured and not left out, referencing HIPAA and facility policy requirements for privacy. The deficiency affected residents on the 2nd, 5th, and 7th floors, with a total of 28 residents' information exposed on unattended care sheets. Staff interviews confirmed an understanding of the expectation to keep such information private, with some staff noting that computers should be used instead of paper to protect privacy. Facility policy dated July 2025 states that residents have the right to personal privacy and confidentiality of their records, which was not upheld in these instances.