Staff Made Disrespectful Comment About Resident in Presence of Family
Penalty
Summary
A staff member failed to treat a resident with dignity and respect when an LPN made an inappropriate comment about a resident's condition in the presence of a family member. The incident occurred near the nurse's station, where the LPN instructed other staff to check on the resident to see if he was alive, not realizing a family member was present. The family member overheard the remark, found it unprofessional and unkind, and observed another employee attempting to signal the LPN to stop speaking. The family member identified themselves to the LPN and expressed concern about the disrespectful nature of the comment. The resident involved had multiple complex medical conditions, including pulmonary fibrosis, chronic respiratory failure with oxygen dependence, adult failure to thrive, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and was receiving hospice services. The resident's care plan included interventions for pain management and comfort. The LPN later acknowledged the comment was disrespectful and reported the incident to the on-call manager. The facility's policy requires all residents to be treated with dignity and respect, which was not upheld in this instance.