Failure to Ensure Dignity and Respect in Resident Communication
Penalty
Summary
Two residents with cognitive capacity and language preferences other than English were not treated with dignity and respect by a medication nurse during communication. One resident, who required substantial assistance with activities of daily living and had a history of hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and above-the-knee amputation, reported being spoken to disrespectfully and with an attitude by the evening medication nurse. The resident also stated that the nurse did not attempt to communicate in a language the resident could understand or take steps to facilitate effective communication. Another resident, who was cognitively intact and had diagnoses including hemiplegia, hemiparesis, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, witnessed the same nurse arguing with the first resident and attempted to assist with communication due to his partial understanding of English. His efforts were dismissed by the nurse, who told him to mind his own business. The Director of Nursing acknowledged that miscommunications could lead to frustration and suggested that an intervention would be to obtain another staff member to interpret for the residents. The facility's policy requires employees to treat all residents with kindness, respect, and dignity, which was not followed in these instances.