Failure to Ensure Resident Dignity During Meals and Room Entry
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a dignified dining experience for residents by providing plastic silverware during meals. On two separate occasions, the majority of residents in the main dining room and residents on the last halls were served meals with plastic utensils due to a shortage of clean regular silverware. Staff interviews confirmed that the kitchen had run out of clean silverware, and the issue persisted until it was brought to the attention of staff by the state surveyor. The use of plastic silverware was observed and acknowledged by multiple staff members, indicating a lapse in maintaining resident dignity during meal service. Additionally, the facility did not follow its own policy regarding resident privacy and dignity when a nurse aide entered a resident's room without knocking or announcing themselves. The incident was observed by a state surveyor and confirmed by the unit manager, who acknowledged that the staff member should have knocked before entering. The facility's written policy requires staff to knock and wait for an answer before entering a resident's room, but this procedure was not followed, resulting in a failure to ensure resident privacy and dignity.