Staff Cell Phone Use During Assisted Feeding Undermines Resident Dignity
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves a failure to promote care in a manner that maintains resident dignity and rights when a staff member used a personal cell phone while feeding a resident who required total assistance. On 1/27/26 at 12:55 PM, a restorative aide (V9) was observed feeding resident R5 while simultaneously using her personal cell phone. During this observation, V9 acknowledged she was feeding R5 and stated she knew she was not supposed to use a cell phone while providing patient care. R5’s record shows admission with diagnoses including unspecified dementia, abnormal posture, muscle weakness, unspecified abnormalities of gait and mobility, type 2 diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension, and dehydration. The order summary for January 2026 reflects a general diet with mechanical soft texture and thin liquids, and the care plan dated 3/21/25 identifies R5 as requiring total assistance with eating. Interviews with facility leadership confirmed that staff are not to use personal cell phones while feeding residents or providing any type of care. The DON (V2) stated staff should not be on their cell phones while feeding residents or providing care, and later clarified that the facility does not have a separate cell phone policy beyond what is in the employee handbook, but that staff are aware there is no cell phone use while in the facility. The Human Resource Director (V19) reported that staff are informed upon hire that no personal cell phone usage is allowed in the facility except during breaks in designated areas, and that this is discussed with the employee handbook, which staff sign to acknowledge. The Assistant Administrator (V3) also stated the facility has a no cell phone use policy while in the facility and while providing resident care. Facility policies on feeding assistance and resident rights emphasize that residents who cannot feed themselves are to be fed by qualified staff and that care should support dignity, independence, and a homelike environment, but the observed conduct of V9 using a cell phone while feeding R5 did not align with these expectations.
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