Failure to Ensure Resident Mail Privacy
Penalty
No penalty information released
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident's mail was delivered unopened, as required by facility policy and resident rights regulations. Review of the facility's policies confirmed that residents have the right to privacy in written communications, including the right to send and promptly receive unopened mail. During an interview, a cognitively intact resident reported that the facility was opening their mail prior to delivery, which the resident identified as an invasion of privacy. The Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that some of the resident's mail was being opened before being given to the resident.