Failure to Immediately Report Allegation of Abuse
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident, who was cognitively intact and had a history of phantom limb syndrome, chronic respiratory failure, and an above-the-knee amputation, reported an allegation of abuse to a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). The resident stated that an unidentified staff member used force while applying cream to his left lower extremity stump and, during incontinence care, it felt as though a digit was inserted into his rectum. The initial report of this allegation was made to the LPN, but the LPN did not report the incident to facility administration as required by policy. The facility's policy on Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation required that all alleged violations be reported to the Administrator immediately, but not later than two hours after the allegation was made. However, the LPN failed to report the allegation until the resident made the complaint a second time the following day. This delay in reporting resulted in the facility not being able to initiate an immediate investigation or make timely notifications as outlined in their policy.