Improper Disposal of Meal Tickets Compromises Resident Privacy
Penalty
Summary
The facility compromised the privacy and confidentiality of all 173 residents by improperly disposing of meal tray tickets containing sensitive personal and medical information. During a kitchen tour, surveyors observed meal tickets with resident names discarded in a garbage can in the dishwashing area. The path of the kitchen trash was traced to outside dumpsters located in an unsecured, publicly accessible parking lot. Review of the meal tickets revealed they included resident names, room locations, meal locations, therapeutic diet orders, fluid textures, food preferences, allergies, and special instructions, all of which are considered protected health information. The Certified Dietary Manager confirmed that the expectation was for meal tickets to be placed in a shred bin and acknowledged that discarding them in the trash violated HIPAA regulations. Facility policy also stated that residents have the right to privacy and confidentiality for all aspects of care and services.