Failure to Provide Private Space for Resident Phone Conversations
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a private space for phone conversations, resulting in a deficiency affecting one resident out of three reviewed for reasonable access to privacy. The resident in question had diagnoses including dementia without behaviors, anxiety, and a history of stroke, and was assessed as having normal cognitive function. The resident's care plan indicated a need for a private room due to psychosocial needs. Observations revealed that the resident did not have access to a working phone in his room, and staff interviews confirmed that residents typically used the phone at the nurses' station, which was not a private area and could be overheard by staff, visitors, or other residents. Further investigation showed that the cordless phone at the nurses' station was not operational, and when a corded phone was found in the resident's room, it was not plugged in or functional. Staff confirmed that the resident made calls from the nurses' station and that conversations could be overheard, as evidenced by a staff member overhearing a personal conversation about cigarettes. The facility's policy referenced the right to private and unrestricted communications, but the lack of a designated private area and non-functional phones resulted in the resident's inability to have private phone conversations.