The incident at Lenawee Medical Care Facility involved a resident with Parkinson's disease, vascular dementia, and major depressive disorder who scored 9 out of 15 on a cognitive screening test, indicating moderate cognitive impairment.
CNA E recorded the video from behind the resident as she sat in her wheelchair talking on the telephone. The resident's back was to the camera. At the end of the recording, the nursing assistant turned the camera on herself.
She sent the video to CNA F through social media messenger. CNA F shared a social media account with Witness G, who then showed the video to Human Resources Assistant D during the facility's investigation.
The resident had no idea she was being recorded.
When federal inspectors asked her on September 22 how she would feel about being recorded, she said "it would depend on what it would be."
CNA E told investigators she made the recording "as a way of their own complaining and documentation of false allegations that were happening against us at that time."
She explained that the resident had turned on her call light, but when the nursing assistant responded, the resident "shooed her away because she was on the telephone." That's when CNA E decided to record the video and send it to CNA F.
The facility's Corporate Compliance & Quality Assurance Manager confirmed the resident in the video was the same person inspectors interviewed. The manager said the resident "was not aware that she had been recorded."
CNA F admitted receiving "one video via social media messenger from CNA E" and confirmed that "the back of a resident's head was seen in the video."
The Human Resources Assistant reported that CNA E was terminated for violating the facility's policy prohibiting photography or video recordings on the property. She was also fired for "not treating R1 with respect, and violating R1's right to privacy."
But the video had already made its way through multiple staff members before the facility discovered it. Witness G had access to it through the shared social media account with CNA F. The Human Resources Assistant viewed it during the investigation. The Corporate Compliance Manager watched it with federal inspectors.
The resident remained unaware of any recording until inspectors asked her about it directly.
Federal inspectors found the facility failed to respect the resident's right to privacy. The violation carried a designation of "minimal harm or potential for actual harm" and affected "few" residents.
The inspection was conducted in response to a complaint filed with federal regulators.
The resident's medical record showed she had been admitted to the facility with her multiple diagnoses. Her cognitive screening score of 9 out of 15 placed her in the moderate impairment range, meaning she had significant difficulty with memory and thinking but retained some awareness.
CNA E's explanation that she was documenting "false allegations" suggests workplace tensions may have motivated the secret recording. But she offered no details about what allegations she believed were false or why filming a resident on the phone would serve as documentation.
The facility's investigation uncovered the videos after Witness G brought them to management's attention. How long the recordings circulated among staff before discovery remains unclear from the inspection report.
The terminated nursing assistant had been recording residents without their knowledge or consent, then distributing the videos through social media channels accessible to multiple facility employees.
For the resident with dementia, the violation meant her private phone conversation became entertainment shared among staff members she trusted with her daily care.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Lenawee Medical Care Facility from 2025-09-22 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
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