F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
E

Visible care instructions and uncovered urine bag

Carmel Hills Care CenterMonterey, California Survey Completed on 04-17-2026

Summary

The facility failed to maintain resident dignity by visibly posting care instructions in multiple resident rooms and on room doors instead of keeping them discreet. For Resident 61, who had polyneuropathy, type 2 DM, and mild cognitive impairment with a BIMS score of 7, a posted instruction above the head of bed directed CNAs to assist with dentures before breakfast and remove them at night. The same type of visible posting remained in the room during repeated observations. Similar visible postings were observed for Resident 69, who had unspecified dementia and a BIMS score of 10, including an instruction to use only soap and warm water for brief changes and no wipes. Visible care instructions were also observed for Resident 19, who had dementia and a BIMS score of 6, stating that the patient was a Hoyer lift transfer. Resident 95, who had hemiplegia/hemiparesis following CVA and epilepsy and was cognitively intact with a BIMS score of 14, had posted instructions stating that the patient was a feeder and used medicated shampoo on shower days. When interviewed, Resident 95 stated, after being told what a feeder meant, that he could feed himself. Resident 90, who had senile degeneration of the brain, vascular dementia, and a history of TIA and cerebral infarction, had multiple care instructions visibly posted in the room, including directions to ask if he was hungry or thirsty, information about post stroke regression, and a daily wake-up plan. Staff confirmed the postings were visible and stated nurses were the ones who posted them. Additional visible postings were observed for Resident 3, who had ESRD and was on renal dialysis, and Resident 93, who had hearing aid care instructions posted on the wall and on a storage unit in front of the bed. Resident 54, who had CKD and CHF, also had a fluid restriction breakdown posted on the front door. In another room, Resident 39 had an exposed urine drainage bag tied to the side of the bed without a privacy bag. Staff confirmed the urine bag was not covered and stated that a privacy bag must be used. The facility policy on dignity stated that signs indicating a resident's clinical status or care needs are not openly posted in the resident's room and that urinary catheter bags should be covered.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

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See other F0550 citations
Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Catheter Care and Dining
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

Failure to maintain resident dignity was identified when three residents with indwelling urinary catheters had drainage bags hanging on the bedframe without privacy covers, despite physician orders for privacy covers every shift. In addition, a resident who was ordered to be fed by staff was observed being fed by a nurse aide standing beside the bed during lunch, and the DON confirmed the dining experience was not dignified.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Dressing Assistance
D
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, anxiety, and osteoarthritis was observed sitting naked on the bed in full view of the hallway while a CNA assisted with dressing. The care plan directed staff to assist with dressing, and the CNA stated the curtain had not been pulled after returning the resident from the bathroom. The ED confirmed the facility failed to maintain the resident's dignity.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Provide Dignified Dining Experience
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

Failure to provide a dignified dining experience: Four residents with significant diagnoses, including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, cerebral palsy, TBI, and dysphagia, were brought to the assistive dining room for lunch but were not served their trays until more than 50 minutes after the posted mealtime. While other residents were already being assisted with eating, these residents were left watching the meal service, and the DON stated they should have been served at the same time as the others or not brought in until their trays were ready.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Protect Resident Dignity During Insulin Administration
D
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A facility failed to protect the dignity of two residents when an LPN administered insulin injections in the commons area in full view of surveyors, staff, and other residents. The LPN lifted each resident’s shirt, cleansed the injection site, and gave the subcutaneous insulin injection publicly rather than in a private area.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Late Meal Service and Public Medication Administration
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia, depression, and anxiety was seated in the dining room while other residents ate, but the lunch tray was not served with the group on two occasions. In a separate event, an LVN administered oral meds to another resident with intellectual disability and cerebral palsy in the dining room while wearing gloves, rather than in a private setting, which staff stated was not the facility’s practice and could be seen as disrespectful.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Unauthorized Shaving of Resident's Beard
E
F0550 F550: Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Short Summary

A resident with dementia and Alzheimer's disease had his beard completely shaved by two CNAs without his RP's consent. The RP stated the resident had worn his beard for many years and had not been seen without it, and the DON stated the RP should have been notified because the resident lacked capacity to make decisions for himself. The facility policy required staff to ask the resident or, when appropriate, the resident representative about grooming preferences upon admission.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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