Failure to Maintain Resident Health Information Confidentiality
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain the confidentiality of a resident's personal health information during a lunch service. The Health Insurance Service Coordinator discussed private medical information, including guardianship, insurance plan, and dialysis details, with the resident at her dining table in the presence of other residents, a family member, and multiple staff members. The conversation took place in a public area where others could overhear, rather than in a private setting as required by facility policy. The resident involved was cognitively intact and able to communicate effectively. She later expressed discomfort with having her personal information discussed openly and stated she would have preferred a private conversation. Both the Health Insurance Service Coordinator and the Nursing Home Administrator acknowledged that the discussion should have been conducted in a private area, in accordance with the facility's policy on protecting resident health information.