Failure to Ensure Respectful Communication Toward a Cognitively Intact Resident
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure staff spoke to a resident in a respectful manner, thereby not honoring the resident’s right to dignity and respectful communication. The resident involved was admitted with diagnoses including spinal muscular atrophy, hemiplegia and hemiparesis following cerebral infarction affecting the left non-dominant side, and type 2 diabetes. A nurse progress note documented that a CNA had not treated this resident respectfully. An MDS assessment showed the resident was cognitively intact and required moderate to maximal assistance with staff for all ADLs. The resident later confirmed in an interview that he did not want this CNA to care for him anymore due to how she had treated him. The facility’s SRI documented that the resident made an allegation of abuse involving the CNA. While the facility’s investigation did not substantiate abuse, it did determine that the CNA spoke to the resident in a disrespectful manner. The DON reported that the resident had complained that when he asked the CNA if she was ignoring him, the CNA responded that she was ignoring him. The DON confirmed that the CNA admitted the resident’s account of the incident was correct. This conduct constituted a failure to ensure that staff communicated with the resident in a respectful manner, affecting one resident reviewed for dignity and respect out of a facility census of 69.
