Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity and Respect
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents were treated with dignity and respect, as evidenced by multiple reports from residents and observations during interviews and record reviews. Several cognitively intact residents reported that Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) and other staff were rude, sarcastic, and dismissive, often using their cell phones during care and speaking to residents in a demeaning manner. One resident described being transferred with a mechanical lift while the CNA was on a speakerphone call, and another reported that staff would call him out of his name and refuse to assist with food requests. Residents also described staff as rough during care, particularly when moving residents with physical limitations, causing both physical and emotional discomfort. Residents further reported significant delays in response to call lights, with some stating that their calls for assistance went unanswered for extended periods, sometimes overnight. During a resident council meeting, multiple residents expressed that staff treated them like children, pushed them to their rooms, and ignored their needs. The council also noted that staff often spoke in a commanding tone and failed to address residents by their preferred names, contributing to a sense of being dismissed and forgotten. Additional concerns included staff limiting access to beverages such as coffee, ignoring residents' requests, and leaving residents in soiled briefs for prolonged periods. Interviews with both residents and staff confirmed that these practices were ongoing, with staff admitting that residents would not receive certain items during specific shifts. The facility's own policies require staff to treat residents with dignity, respect, and kindness, and prohibit demeaning practices, but these standards were not upheld in the care provided to the residents identified in the report.