Failure to Protect Resident from Physical Abuse by Another Resident
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with severe cognitive impairment and a diagnosis of vascular dementia exhibited physical aggression towards another resident who was cognitively intact. The aggressive resident, who had a documented history of behavioral disturbances and was being monitored for verbal and physical aggression, struck the other resident multiple times on the thigh during an activity. This incident was witnessed by staff and reported in facility documentation, confirming that the aggressive behavior was not an isolated event. The facility's policy requires protection of residents from abuse by anyone, including other residents. Despite this, the cognitively intact resident was subjected to physical abuse by another resident, as confirmed by interviews with staff and the affected resident. The incident was documented in the Report of Suspected Dependent Adult/Elder Abuse and corroborated by staff interviews, indicating that the facility failed to prevent the abuse as required by its own policies and procedures.