Failure to Treat Resident with Dignity and Respect
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) failed to treat a resident with dignity and respect. The resident, who had diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, disorganized schizophrenia, and anxiety disorder, was observed to have cognitive deficits and exhibited behaviors such as wandering and exit seeking. During an incident, the resident became agitated after being accidentally bumped by another resident and began yelling and acting as if he might hit the other individual. The LVN intervened by getting between the two residents and, in the process, yelled at the resident, telling him to "sit his ass down." This interaction was witnessed by another staff member and later confirmed by the LVN herself. The facility's policy on resident rights, which was last revised in December 2016, requires that all employees treat residents with kindness, respect, and dignity. The LVN's actions, as described in the report, did not align with this policy. The resident involved was noted to have limited ability to understand or communicate, as indicated by his MDS assessment, and had not exhibited physical or verbal behaviors toward others in the week prior to the incident. The failure to address the resident in a respectful manner constituted a violation of the resident's right to dignity and respect.