Failure to Inform Resident of Visitation Rights and Restrictions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to inform a resident of her visitation rights and the related facility policy and procedures, including any safety restrictions or limitations, the reasons for such restrictions, and to whom the restrictions applied. This deficiency was identified for one resident who was not notified by the facility when her family member was no longer allowed to visit due to safety concerns. The resident, who had diagnoses of dementia, adjustment disorder, and depression, reported feeling lonely and isolated, and stated she missed her family member, who had not been allowed to visit for several months. She also stated she never received any policy or notice about the visitation restriction. Interviews with facility staff, including the former DON, social worker, administrator, and ADON, revealed that the family member was restricted from visiting after incidents involving inappropriate behavior toward a staff member, which led to police involvement. The administrator and other staff members confirmed that the decision to restrict visitation was made for staff safety, but there was no documentation in the resident's medical record regarding the restriction, nor evidence that the resident was formally informed by facility staff. Instead, it was believed that another family member had informed the resident about the restriction. The facility's own policy required informing residents and/or their representatives of their visitation rights and any clinical or safety restrictions. However, the administrator acknowledged that the resident rights policy was not reviewed or followed when addressing the visitation issue, and the incident was handled primarily from the perspective of staff safety. There was no documentation or formal communication to the resident regarding the restriction, resulting in the resident being unaware of her rights and the reasons for the limitation.