Failure to Knock or Request Permission Before Entering Resident Rooms
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility's treatment of residents' dignity and rights, specifically related to staff failing to knock or ask permission before entering resident rooms. Observations revealed that a nurse aide entered the rooms of three residents without knocking on multiple occasions while delivering lunch trays. The nurse aide acknowledged during interviews that she was aware of the expectation to knock and announce herself but could not explain why she did not follow this protocol. Other staff, including the wound nurse and the administrator, confirmed that staff are expected to knock and introduce themselves before entering resident rooms. The residents involved included one with severe cognitive impairment, one who was cognitively intact, and one with moderate cognitive impairment. Attempts to interview two of the residents were unsuccessful, while the third resident did not express an opinion about the staff's actions. The deficiency was determined based on the reasonable person concept, as individuals generally expect staff to knock and identify themselves before entering their rooms.