Only appropriate staff may have keys to the door.

What this Looks like in Practice:

• People who live in the home can come and go even if the front door is locked (e.g., ring a bell, have their own key or request a key prior to leaving).
• Locks are standard on all bedroom unit doors, and people who live in the home can choose whether to use them.
• People have control over their privacy and the option to lock their bedroom or unit door from the inside and outside.
• People have their own key/fob to their bedroom or unit.
• When asked, people know they have a right to lock their own doors and have keys.
• If there are circumstances that prevent people from having a locked bedroom/unit door, or carrying their own keys, these are discussed during the person-centered planning process and described and documented in the person-centered plan.
  • The person-centered plan documents discussion of practical and creative strategies that can help people have access to privacy, including lockable doors and their own keys, despite the apparent circumstances. (For example, if the person loses the key repeatedly, the team strategizes ways to make it more secure.)
  • If this is not possible, the person-centered plan documents discussion of practical and creative strategies to remedy the circumstances causing any restriction of this right, and those plans are implemented.
  • A Human Rights Committee reviews any restrictions when they are proposed, including the plan to remedy it and the projected timelines, and reviews the plan regularly to make sure it remains appropriate and progress is being made.
• Staff can state the rights of people to have privacy, including lockable doors and their own keys.
• The staff person(s) allowed to have keys/fob to a person’s room is determined by the person and the provider and should be documented in the person-centered plan.
• Staff and others respect the person’s privacy by knocking and receiving permission before entering a person’s room.
• Staff only access a person’s bedroom or unit without permission to address health and safety concerns. Staff are trained on a safety plan for use in an emergency situation if a person’s bedroom or bathroom door is locked.
• People are offered their own bedroom, when available.