Failure to Restore Resident's Camera Surveillance After Power Strip Removal
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when facility staff failed to honor a resident's right to have camera surveillance in her room. The resident, who was cognitively impaired with a BIMS score of six and required total assistance with activities of daily living, had a surveillance camera in her room. On a specific date, the Unit Manager removed a power strip that was connected to the resident's surveillance camera and did not reconnect the camera to a power source. The Unit Manager confirmed that neither he nor any other staff member plugged the camera back in, and the family was notified but it was unclear when the camera was restored to operation. The facility's policy allows residents and their authorized representatives to install and use electronic monitoring devices in accordance with applicable laws, with only authorized personnel permitted to install such devices. The Administrator was unaware that the camera had not been reconnected after the power strip was removed. This failure affected one resident out of fifteen who had surveillance cameras in their rooms, and was identified through medical record review, staff interviews, and facility policy review.