Failure to Provide Private Telephone Access for Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide reasonable access to a telephone with privacy for a resident diagnosed with schizophrenia and mild intellectual disabilities, who had a moderate cognitive impairment as indicated by a BIMS score of 12 out of 15. The resident's phone was removed from their room after a history of calling 911 for non-emergency situations, a decision reportedly agreed upon by the resident's representative. However, the resident's care plan was not updated to reflect the removal of the phone or to document any substitute arrangements for private communication. Observations confirmed that the resident did not have a phone in their room, and staff interviews revealed that the resident was only allowed to use the phone at the nurse's station. Facility staff, including the unit manager and DON, acknowledged that the care plan was not revised to address the change and could not explain how privacy was ensured when the resident used the nurse's station phone. The facility's own policy requires access to a telephone and the ability to communicate with privacy, which was not met in this instance.