Failure to Follow Visitation Policy and Notify Resident of Visitor Restriction
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor a resident's right to receive visitors of his choosing, as outlined in its own visitation policy and procedure. A resident with a history of CVA and atrial fibrillation, who was cognitively intact based on BIMS scores, was denied visits from a friend who regularly visited and brought requested items. The friend was verbally informed by Risk Management that she was not allowed on the property for 30 days due to concerns about her request to videotape the resident, but there was no evidence of physical or verbal aggression by the visitor. The facility did not communicate this restriction to the resident, nor was there any documentation of the incident or the decision to deny visitation in the resident's medical record, as required by policy. Interviews with the resident, his roommate, and staff confirmed that the visitor had not caused any safety concerns for residents or staff. The resident was not notified of the visitation restriction and expressed anger and dissatisfaction upon learning about it. The facility's Risk Management acknowledged that the policy requiring communication and documentation of denied visitation was not followed, and that the decision was made without consulting the resident or documenting the rationale in the medical record. Additionally, the facility failed to post visitor hours, rules, or regulations in public areas as required by its policy. Observations confirmed that information boards at the facility entrance did not display any information regarding visitation policies, only a general statement about resident rights. This lack of posted information further contributed to the facility's failure to comply with its own visitation procedures.