Failure to Ensure Resident Privacy During Personal Care
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident's right to privacy during personal activities of daily living was not honored. The resident reported that while she was being assisted by a CNA with personal care, including cleaning and dressing, the Maintenance Director instructed housekeeping staff to perform a deep cleaning of her room despite objections from both the resident and the housekeeping staff. The curtains were closed, but the resident still felt uncomfortable and expressed her distress to the staff and later to the Ombudsman. Multiple staff members confirmed that it is not standard practice to clean rooms while residents are receiving personal care, and that they felt uncomfortable with the situation but proceeded due to the Maintenance Director's insistence. Interviews with the involved staff corroborated the resident's account, indicating that the housekeeping staff and CNA communicated their concerns about the timing of the cleaning, but were directed to proceed regardless. The Director of Nursing stated that housekeeping should only clean if the resident consents. The incident resulted in the resident feeling upset and uncomfortable, as her privacy was not respected during a vulnerable moment.