F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
D

Failure to Honor Resident Dignity, ADL Needs, and Nighttime Preferences

Complete Care At HagerstownHagerstown, Maryland Survey Completed on 01-29-2026

Summary

Facility staff failed to honor residents’ rights to dignity and self-determination by not addressing one resident’s ADL needs in a timely manner and by disregarding another resident’s clearly documented preference not to be disturbed during specified nighttime hours. During a unit tour, a resident later identified as Resident #7 was observed at the nurses’ station repeatedly and loudly requesting assistance to use the bathroom, stating they had stomach pain and did not want to soil themselves. An LPN at the nurses’ station verbally acknowledged that the resident needed a lift and should not stand, but then continued medication preparation and administration, later walking around the station and sitting at the desk on the phone without providing assistance, attempting to soothe the resident, or arranging for timely toileting. The observations showed that Resident #7 continued to call out for help for an extended period, from at least 11:03 AM until 11:15 AM, with visitors also present and concerned, while the LPN did not respond to the resident’s expressed need for toileting and relief of stomach pain. The resident’s care plan included that the resident was known to fixate on going to the bathroom and might sit on the commode without voiding, but the DON acknowledged that this did not excuse the lack of response from the nurse on the day of observation. ADL care was eventually provided at 11:24 AM by another staff member, an RN working in the role of a GNA, who took the resident to their room and placed them on the toilet, indicating a significant delay between the resident’s initial requests and the provision of toileting assistance. In a separate incident, the facility did not respect Resident #4’s documented preference and physician’s order not to be awakened between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM. The resident had no cognitive impairment per a quarterly MDS and was able to voice needs, and the care plan and a physician’s order both specified that the resident was not to be woken during those hours. Despite this, an RN entered the resident’s room around 6:15 AM while the resident was asleep, pulled down the covers, and inspected the resident’s colostomy bag. Additionally, the Treatment Administration Record contained staff-entered orders scheduled between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM, including turning and repositioning, catheter care, and administration of fluids, which required staff to wake the resident during the period they had expressly requested and been ordered not to be disturbed. The resident reported wanting staff to empty the colostomy bag before bedtime and stated being fully capable of requesting help when needed, and the unit manager confirmed awareness of the resident’s preference not to be awakened at night.

Penalty

Inspection fine: $14,082
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0550 citations
Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Catheter Care and Dining
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

Failure to maintain resident dignity was identified when three residents with indwelling urinary catheters had drainage bags hanging on the bedframe without privacy covers, despite physician orders for privacy covers every shift. In addition, a resident who was ordered to be fed by staff was observed being fed by a nurse aide standing beside the bed during lunch, and the DON confirmed the dining experience was not dignified.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Dressing Assistance
D
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, anxiety, and osteoarthritis was observed sitting naked on the bed in full view of the hallway while a CNA assisted with dressing. The care plan directed staff to assist with dressing, and the CNA stated the curtain had not been pulled after returning the resident from the bathroom. The ED confirmed the facility failed to maintain the resident's dignity.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Provide Dignified Dining Experience
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

Failure to provide a dignified dining experience: Four residents with significant diagnoses, including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, cerebral palsy, TBI, and dysphagia, were brought to the assistive dining room for lunch but were not served their trays until more than 50 minutes after the posted mealtime. While other residents were already being assisted with eating, these residents were left watching the meal service, and the DON stated they should have been served at the same time as the others or not brought in until their trays were ready.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Protect Resident Dignity During Insulin Administration
D
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A facility failed to protect the dignity of two residents when an LPN administered insulin injections in the commons area in full view of surveyors, staff, and other residents. The LPN lifted each resident’s shirt, cleansed the injection site, and gave the subcutaneous insulin injection publicly rather than in a private area.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Late Meal Service and Public Medication Administration
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, depression, and anxiety was seated in the dining room while other residents ate, but the lunch tray was not served with the group on two occasions. In a separate event, an LVN administered oral meds to another resident with intellectual disability and cerebral palsy in the dining room while wearing gloves, rather than in a private setting, which staff stated was not the facility’s practice and could be seen as disrespectful.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Unauthorized Shaving of Resident's Beard
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia and Alzheimer's disease had his beard completely shaved by two CNAs without his RP's consent. The RP stated the resident had worn his beard for many years and had not been seen without it, and the DON stated the RP should have been notified because the resident lacked capacity to make decisions for himself. The facility policy required staff to ask the resident or, when appropriate, the resident representative about grooming preferences upon admission.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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