Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity by Leaving Catheter Bag Uncovered
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident's right to dignity was not maintained, as evidenced by the facility's failure to ensure that an indwelling urinary catheter drainage bag was covered and not visible to the public. The facility's policy on resident rights, revised in February 2021, requires all residents to be treated with dignity. The resident involved was admitted and later readmitted with diagnoses including colon cancer, hypertension, and dementia, and was assessed as cognitively intact. The resident had an indwelling urinary catheter, as documented in the medical record and care plan. On two separate occasions, observations revealed that the resident's catheter bag was left uncovered and visible from the hallway while the resident was lying in bed. During interviews, both an LPN and the Director of Nursing confirmed that the catheter bag was not covered and acknowledged that all indwelling urinary catheters should be covered with a dignity bag or privacy cover. These findings were based on policy review, medical record review, direct observation, and staff interviews.