What should you do to respect a resident's privacy and confidentiality?

• A. Close doors/curtains, discuss only with authorized staff, and never share information with others unless required by care.
• B. Discuss information with family in private
• C. Post information for staff access
• D. Share information with all staff on every shift

Answer: (A)

Protecting a resident’s privacy means limiting who can access their personal information and keeping care conversations and areas private. The best approach is to physically ensure privacy by closing doors or curtains, talk only with staff members who are involved in the resident’s care (authorized personnel), and share information only when it is necessary for the resident’s care or required by policy or law. This minimizes the chance that sensitive information is overheard or seen by people who don’t need to know it.

Discussing information with family in private can be appropriate if the resident has given consent or the policy permits it, but it isn’t a blanket rule for every situation. Posting information where anyone can see it or sharing details with all staff on every shift would expose confidential data and violate privacy.