The facility admitted the 83-year-old resident in August with vascular dementia. His latest assessment showed he scored just 3 out of 15 on a cognitive test, indicating severe impairment.
On October 2nd at 8:27 AM, inspectors watched as Certified Nurse Aide #1 and CNA #3 lifted the resident using a sit-to-stand device and removed his incontinence brief. Neither aide pulled his privacy curtain or his roommate's curtain. The roommate was lying in bed facing the resident with a full view of his perineal area during the entire procedure.
The facility's own resident rights guide states clearly: "You have the right to dignity and respect in the care you receive." Staff training materials from December 2020 instruct aides to "ensure privacy for Residents."
When confronted that afternoon, CNA #1 admitted she hadn't considered the privacy issue. She acknowledged "it was undignified to change the resident in full view of another resident."
CNA #3 knew better. She told inspectors she was aware residents had the right to privacy during care to maintain dignity. She admitted she should have ensured privacy before beginning the incontinence care but claimed the privacy curtain didn't fully close around the resident's bed.
The Staff Development Coordinator described extensive training protocols during her interview. She said the facility provided monthly training on resident rights, including respect and dignity. New staff received both video instruction and one-on-one training during orientation. Competency checkoffs for personal care specifically required demonstration of privacy measures.
None of it mattered that morning.
The Director of Nursing confirmed her expectation that staff provide privacy using room curtains during all personal care procedures. She stated both aides "failed to ensure Resident #1's privacy prior to providing incontinence care" and that this failure "violated the resident's right to respectful and dignified care."
Federal regulations require nursing homes to honor each resident's right to dignified existence and respectful treatment. The violation occurred despite facility policies requiring privacy and extensive staff training on dignity rights.
The resident's severe cognitive impairment made him particularly vulnerable. With a dementia diagnosis and cognitive test score indicating he was severely impaired, he depended entirely on staff to protect his dignity during intimate care procedures.
His roommate witnessed the entire episode from his bed just feet away. The inspection found no attempt by either aide to consider the roommate's presence or take basic steps to ensure privacy before exposing the resident's body.
The facility's training materials explicitly instruct aides to ensure privacy for residents. The December 2020 aide checklist lists this as a basic requirement. Monthly training sessions cover resident rights including dignity and respect. New employee orientation includes both video training and personal instruction on providing respectful care.
Both aides received this training. Both knew the requirements. Both ignored them.
CNA #3's excuse about the curtain not fully closing highlighted the problem. Rather than finding an alternative solution or asking for help, she proceeded with intimate care in full view of another resident. Her admission that she knew residents had privacy rights made the violation more troubling.
The incident violated federal nursing home regulations protecting residents' rights to dignified treatment. The facility failed to ensure staff followed basic privacy procedures during personal care, exposing a vulnerable resident with severe dementia to unnecessary humiliation.
Perry County Nursing Center's own policies required the very protections staff failed to provide. The gap between written procedures and actual practice left the cognitively impaired resident without the dignity protection federal law guarantees.
The Director of Nursing's acknowledgment that both aides violated the resident's rights confirmed what inspectors observed. Despite extensive training programs and clear written policies, staff exposed a vulnerable resident during intimate care while his roommate watched from across the room.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Perry County Nursing Center from 2025-10-02 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.