Complaint Investigation Report

Staff cut resident’s hair without consent from authorized representative. – Substantiated

Staff cut R1’s hair without obtaining prior consent from the authorized representative, which is a violation of the R1’s personal rights. However, there is no evidence that the resident sustained any physical or emotional harm. Based on staff and resident interviews the investigation revealed that the facility provides routine haircuts to male residents every three to five weeks as part of grooming and hygiene care. According to the Executive Director (ED), Resident 1 (R1) typically does not request a haircut, and in this case, a caregiver independently decided to cut R1’s hair, citing hygiene concerns due to the residents at the time. The caregiver did not obtain prior consent from R1’s authorized representative. Although the facility stated that routine haircuts are standard practice, staff failed to obtain consent from R1’s authorized representative prior to the haircut, which is required. There was no indication that R1 experienced emotional distress, physical injury, or any other form of harm as a result of the haircut.

As a result of this investigation, LPA finds allegations to be Substantiated - A finding that the complaint is Substantiated means that the allegation is valid because the preponderance of the evidence standard has been met.