Residents have rights which include privacy, property, and the grievance process. When a resident enters a facility, it becomes their home and they have many of the same rights that they would have had in their private residences.
Humans can remain sexual throughout their lives. Residents have a right to express their sexuality as long as it is not public and does not harm the resident or others. Assure privacy for residents and avoid commenting to co-workers. Always treat residents with respect and dignity.
One of the resident's rights is being able to keep personal possessions and to make their room comfortable and homelike. They may furnish their room as long as it does not interfere with their safety and health or that of others. The facility must provide reasonable security for the possessions.
Personal possessions may be kept and used by residents. The staff is not permitted to take residents' belongings.
Restraints are used to keep a resident safe in special circumstances. They may only be applied with a physician's order and must be removed as soon as possible. If a restraint is used, the resident must be checked every 1-2 hours to make sure there is no skin damage or pain, that alignment is maintained, and that the resident physical needs are met.
Physical privacy is the right to do something without having someone witness. This includes personal functions, such as bathing, toileting, or grooming. The nurse aide can be an advocate for patients to help them meet their needs. For example, if a patient needs to use the bedpan, the nurse aide should ask visitors to leave the room so the patient can use the bedpan and get cleaned up. The nurse aide can inform the visitors when they can return.
Every culture and religion celebrates the end of life in a different way. As a health care professional, the nurse aide should support the resident and family in a positive and safe manner.
It can be tempting to share medical information with others who know the patient. But even general information or conversations about behavior are violations of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Be honest and firm about your responsibility as a health care professional.
The Patient's Bill of Rights was put into place in 1998. It states that clients can choose their health care providers. Clients can also participate in planning their care and choosing treatment, even during a life-threatenting illness.
The primary responsibility of the CNA is to give hands-on care to residents. The residents have a right to the full attention of their caregivers. Meals should be a pleasant social time for both the resident and the nurse aide. In addition, the CNA should focus on safely feeding the resident.
Activities that can lessen the requirement for restraints should be taken into account by the care team. Residents have the right to be free from chemical or physical restrictions unless those restraints are authorized by a doctor, agreed upon by the resident, or are required to safeguard the individual.
Residents have a right to full disclosure of their health status and medical care. Release forms are part of the process for obtaining records. The resident can give permission for discharge unless they have been found incompetent.
Every resident has the right to make decisions regarding their care, including refusing care or treatment. The nurse aide can explain the benefits of a bed bath and give the resident time to reconsider. Do not proceed to bathe them. A resident could file a grievance after being bathed against his will, and the nurse aide could be disciplined.
Residents are free to choose how they receive care and have the freedom to do so. Although it cannot be forced, residents should be urged to eat meals that are nutritionally balanced. Concerns concerning the residents' health should be reported by CNAs.
Neglect is failure to provide appropriate care of a client. Leaving a client in an unsafe situation or in need of physical care are two examples. Verbal abuse (also called bullying) is a form of emotional abuse that can be as harmful as physical abuse. It includes yelling, criticism, blaming, insulting, belittling, or threatening. Restraints may only be applied with a physician's order.
Physical privacy is the right to do something without having someone witness. Examples are bathing a client without exposing parts of the body not being washed, or using the bedside commode with no one watching. Even reading a client's greeting cards without permission can be considered a violation of their physical privacy.
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