Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity and Privacy During Care and Room Entry
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves failure to honor residents' rights to dignity and privacy by allowing exposure of body parts in public areas and by entering a resident room without knocking or announcing. One cognitively intact resident with Type 2 diabetes and spinal stenosis, who required substantial to maximal assistance with upper body dressing and used a wheelchair for mobility, was observed in the main dining area with their gray sweatshirt pulled up, exposing their abdomen to public view during a meal. Other residents were seated nearby and staff were present serving meals and drinks. When the resident requested to return to their room, a staff member pushed the wheelchair down the hallway without attempting to pull down the resident's shirt or otherwise cover the exposed abdomen. The resident later confirmed that their abdomen had been exposed both in the dining room and while being assisted down the hall, and stated they were unable to pull their shirt down independently and needed staff assistance to ensure their abdomen was covered. A nurse aide interviewed acknowledged that residents' body parts should not be exposed to public view and agreed this was a dignity issue. The DON also confirmed that residents' body parts should not be exposed for public view and that this constituted a dignity concern. A separate dignity and privacy concern was identified involving another cognitively intact resident with schizoaffective disorder and morbid obesity, who required assistance with bed mobility, transfers, and toileting. A medication aide entered this resident's room to administer medications by pushing open a partially open door without knocking or announcing, while other staff were providing personal care to the roommate, whose legs and lower body were exposed when the door was opened. During the medication pass, a laundry staff member also opened the door and entered the room without knocking while the roommate's lower body remained exposed. The resident later reported not being sure that staff always knock before entering and described waking up at times to find staff already in the room. The medication aide and the DON both confirmed that staff are expected to knock and announce themselves before entering a resident's room.
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