Failure to Protect Resident Health Information Privacy
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect the privacy of a resident's health information by posting instructions on the resident's wall that disclosed personal details, including birthday, gender, medical identification, and a picture. This posting was observed on two separate occasions and was titled with the resident's shower day, making private medical information visible. The facility's policy on promoting and maintaining residents' dignity specifically requires maintaining resident privacy, which was not followed in this instance. The resident involved had a diagnosis of paraplegia and severe cognitive impairment, as indicated by a BIMS score of 00 on the most recent assessment. Interviews with a family member, the Unit Manager, and the DON confirmed that the posting of such information was inappropriate and not in line with facility policy or HIPAA requirements. The family member was unaware of the posting, and both the Unit Manager and DON acknowledged that staff should not post residents' medical information in this manner.