Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity by Not Covering Urinary Catheter Bag
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to maintain the dignity of a resident by not ensuring that an indwelling urinary catheter bag and tubing were covered. Observations on two separate occasions showed the resident lying in bed with the catheter bag, containing visible urine, hanging from the bed and visible from the hallway, without a privacy bag in place. Facility policy specifically prohibits practices that compromise dignity and requires staff to help residents keep urinary catheter bags covered. Interviews with CNAs and the DON confirmed that the expectation is for all urinary catheter bags to be kept inside privacy bags to prevent urine from being visible to others, acknowledging that the uncovered catheter bag was a dignity issue. The resident involved had a history of Multiple Sclerosis and neuromuscular dysfunction of the bladder, with moderate cognitive impairment as indicated by a BIMS score of 12.