Failure to Protect Resident Privacy by Delivering Mail Already Opened
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to ensure residents received their mail unopened and with privacy. One cognitively intact resident, identified with a BIMS score of 15, reported that the Administrator consistently gave her mail after it had already been opened, specifically noting mail from the Social Security office. She stated that this occurred every time such mail arrived, that it had been gone through, and that she felt irritated and that her privacy had been violated because she wanted to see the contents before the Administrator did. Her admission documentation indicated all incoming mail was to be directed to her, and her care plan did not address any preference or request for staff to open her mail. The Social Worker later reported that the facility was not yet her representative payee at the time these events occurred. Another cognitively intact resident, also with a BIMS score of 15, reported that the Administrator opened all of her mail before delivering it and would tell her that most of it was junk after opening it. This resident stated that having her mail opened made her feel violated. A facility form titled "Mail Release" documented that this resident had given permission for staff to deliver unopened personal and business mail, and her care plan did not address any preference or request for staff to open her mail. The Social Services Director reported that the Administrator opened mail for residents, stating she was told this was done for residents for whom the facility was representative payee. The Administrator confirmed that she opened business mail for residents when the facility was representative payee, though she said she did not open personal mail and was not aware of the specifics of the facility policy. The facility’s written policy required that residents’ mail be delivered unopened and that staff only open mail upon resident request, with such requests documented in the care plan, which was not done for these residents.
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