Resident's Right to Dignity Violated by Forced Transfer from Bed
Penalty
Summary
A Certified Medication Technician (CMT) failed to honor a resident's right to self-determination and dignity by forcing the resident out of bed against their will. The resident, who had diagnoses including COPD, spondylosis, anemia, hyperlipidemia, and left-sided hemiplegia, was moderately cognitively impaired and reported increased leg pain on the day of the incident. Despite the resident's clear verbal refusal to get out of bed and participate in therapy, the CMT insisted, placed pants on the resident while they resisted, and physically moved the resident from a supine position to a wheelchair. An Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA) witnessed the event and confirmed that the resident expressed a desire not to participate in therapy due to pain. The OTA observed the CMT using excessive force and commented on the roughness of the interaction. The resident later reported feeling uneasy and diminished by the experience, stating that the CMT spoke loudly and disregarded their wishes, which made them feel small and uncomfortable. During interviews, the CMT acknowledged being familiar with the facility's resident rights policy but admitted to not notifying the charge nurse when the resident refused to get out of bed. The CMT stated that they were concerned about medication administration and the resident's position but did not follow proper protocol for handling refusals. The Social Services Designee and the facility Administrator both confirmed that the resident's rights were not honored, and the incident was documented as a violation of the resident's right to dignity and choice.