Failure to Protect Resident Dignity and Privacy When Discussing Weight and Food
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to treat a cognitively intact resident with dignity and respect by disclosing her personal health and weight information to her roommate’s mother. The resident, who had diagnoses including morbid obesity due to excess calories and a BMI of 73.4, had a care plan noting her obesity, history of weight fluctuations, and desire to lose 100 pounds while on a special diet. The resident reported that the facility social worker called her roommate’s mother and told her to stop bringing the resident food, stated that the resident had gained 20 pounds, and said that if the food deliveries did not stop, the roommate would be moved. The resident stated this was none of the roommate’s business, that she felt stepped on, humiliated, and never received an apology. The roommate’s mother confirmed that the social worker called her about bringing food to the resident and discussed the resident’s weight gain, which she felt was the resident’s personal information and should not have been shared. She stated she only brought the resident iced tea, hot coffee, fresh fruits, and salads. The local LTC ombudsman reported that the resident called her crying and very upset that the social worker had contacted the roommate’s mother, and further stated that the roommate’s mother was upset that the social worker said her daughter would be moved if she continued to bring food to the resident, which the mother perceived as retaliation. The facility’s written policy, “Your Rights and Protections as a Nursing Home Resident,” stated that residents have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, which was not followed in this instance.
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