Failure to Timely Report Alleged Verbal Abuse to State Agency
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of staff-to-resident verbal abuse to the State Agency (SA) within the required time frame. The incident involved an LPN allegedly verbally abusing a resident. The facility's policy requires immediate or prompt notification of all abuse allegations to the appropriate authorities. However, the report of the alleged abuse was not made by the facility, but instead was received by the SA from an anonymous source. The Administrator and DON were only made aware of the allegation when notified by surveyors, and the facility subsequently reported the incident to the SA later that same day. Interviews revealed that the Administrator was unclear about the required reporting time frames for verbal abuse and was unfamiliar with the process when allegations are brought to their attention by the survey team rather than staff, residents, or family members. The Administrator also indicated a misunderstanding regarding the facility's responsibility to investigate and report such allegations when notified by the state, believing that the state would handle the investigation and reporting process. This lack of timely reporting and misunderstanding of procedures resulted in a delay in notifying the SA of the alleged abuse.