Failure to Treat Residents with Dignity During Conversation and Mealtime Assistance
Summary
The facility failed to treat residents with dignity and respect for two residents reviewed for dignity. One resident had diagnoses of generalized anxiety disorder and recurrent depressive disorder, had a BIMS score of 15 indicating intact cognition, and had care plan interventions directing staff to face the resident when speaking and provide a calm environment. During an observation in the dining room, a CNA asked this resident if they were a gang banger. The resident attempted to explain the history of their tattoos, but the CNA crossed her arms, appeared frustrated, stated she needed a break from the resident, and later left the table. The resident stated the comment was not nice and that the CNA would not answer them back while they were trying to explain. A second resident had dementia, severe impairment in cognitive skills for daily decision-making, short- and long-term memory problems, and was dependent on staff for eating. The resident’s care plan directed staff to provide setup assistance for eating and encourage the resident during meals as needed. During dining observations, the CNA sat beside the resident but stopped assisting when speaking with a visitor, while the resident began feeling for the plate and using fingers to eat. The CNA did not interact with the resident or ask if assistance was needed, and at one point placed a spoon to the resident’s mouth without speaking, startling the resident. Additional observations showed the CNA continued to eat her own meal while the resident was still eating and needed assistance. On another occasion, the CNA again sat beside the resident, talked with other staff, and repeatedly attempted to place food into the resident’s mouth while the resident was still chewing. The CNA also poured sweet and sour sauce on the resident’s rice without asking and put a cup to the resident’s mouth without notifying the resident, causing the resident to startle when the cup touched their lips. Staff interviews stated residents should be interacted with during meals, allowed to chew and swallow before more food or drinks were offered, and asked before seasoning food. The DON and Administrator stated they expected staff to interact appropriately, ask before seasoning food, and wait until residents had swallowed before offering more food.
Penalty
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