Keeping Dignity at the Forefront of Care

As you go through your routine each day, are you mindful of resident dignity? Tag F241 reminds us that "The facility must promote care for residents in a manner and in an environment that maintains or enhances each resident's dignity and respect in full recognition of his or her individuality."¹

Respecting residents' dignity can include actions as simple as helping them attend activities of their own choosing or making sure to label clothing on the inside rather than the outside. 

Here are some other examples cited in F241¹:

• Grooming residents according to their wishes (for example, clipping their nails, shaving or trimming their facial hair and shampooing and styling their hair)
• Encouraging residents to dress in their own clothes, appropriate to the time of day and according to their personal preferences (and assisting them as needed)
• Promoting independence and dignity in dining by doing the following:
• Limiting day-to-day use of plastic cutlery and paper or plastic dishes
• Using bibs (also known as clothing protectors) by resident request (otherwise, use napkins)
• Sitting with residents while helping them eat rather than standing over them
• Staff talking to residents, rather than each other, while helping residents eat
• Respecting residents' private space and property
• Speaking respectfully and addressing residents by the names of their choosing
• Refraining from posting signs in resident rooms that display confidential clinical or personal information (these signs may be posted in more private locations, such as inside a closet)
• Keeping residents sufficiently covered when they are taken to areas outside their rooms, such as the bathing area 
• Refraining from potentially demeaning practices, such as keeping urinary catheter bags uncovered, refusing to help with toileting during meal times and restricting residents from using common areas open to the public (unless they are on isolation precautions or are restricted according to care planned needs)

When in doubt, simply ask yourself: 
How would I want to be treated if I was the person receiving care? 


Reference
1 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. State Operations Manual: Appendix PP – Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term
Care Facilities (Rev. 70, 01-07-11). Available at: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/
som107ap_pp_guidelines_ltcf.pdf. Accessed June 5, 2012.