Failure to Ensure Staff Wore Identification Badges for Resident Identification
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure staff consistently wore identification badges, preventing residents from knowing staff names and titles as required by facility policy. During an interview, one resident reported being unable to identify staff when wanting to make a complaint because many staff did not wear identification badges and often used nicknames. The resident stated he had spoken with the Assistant DON and nurses but could not identify which specific staff members he had reported concerns to. The facility’s employee handbook dated 1/2025 states that name badges are supplied by the facility and must be worn by all employees when on duty, and that each employee is responsible for their badge and its replacement if lost or misplaced. Surveyors observed multiple staff members across different roles and units not wearing identification badges while on duty. A CNA who identified as a new employee stated he did not have an identification badge and was observed in the hallway with towels in hand. Another CNA verified she was not wearing her badge and was seen entering resident rooms without identification, acknowledging that her badge should not be in her pocket and that badges help residents identify who is caring for them. An LPN on the second floor, an RN, the Social Services Director, another LPN on the first-floor unit, and an additional LPN on the first-floor unit were all observed without identification badges and each confirmed they were not wearing them. Several of these staff members stated that facility policy requires all staff to wear ID badges, that badges allow residents and visitors to identify staff, and that it is a resident’s right to know who is caring for them, with one LPN characterizing it as a safety issue if a resident cannot identify a staff member or another person in the building not wearing an ID badge.
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