Failure to Provide Privacy During Incontinent Care
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a certified nursing assistant (CNA) failed to provide privacy for a male resident with severe cognitive impairment and significant self-care deficits during incontinent care. The resident, who required maximal assistance with toileting and hygiene due to dementia and muscle atrophy, was left exposed on his bed, naked from the waist down, with the privacy curtain open and the door to the hallway left ajar. This allowed the resident to be visible from the hallway when the CNA exited the room to retrieve additional supplies. Interviews with the CNA, Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON), and Administrator (ADM) confirmed that facility policy and staff training require privacy to be maintained during personal care by closing curtains, doors, and covering the resident if the caregiver must leave the room. The CNA acknowledged forgetting to provide privacy in this instance, despite having completed annual skills checks and being aware of the expectations. Facility documentation and policy also supported the requirement for privacy during such care.