Resident Subjected to Verbal Abuse by CNA During Incontinent Care
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a certified nursing assistant (CNA) spoke loudly and harshly to a male resident who required substantial assistance with toileting hygiene due to heart failure and an acquired absence of his right leg below the knee. The resident, who had moderately impaired cognition, activated his call light for help with incontinent care after being unable to reach the bathroom in time. The CNA responded by yelling at the resident, making him feel ashamed and scared, and told him he was too old to have accidents and should stay off the call light, instructing him to communicate all his needs at once while she was present. The incident was corroborated by the resident's account during an interview, where he expressed feeling bad and scared as a result of the CNA's behavior. He reported the incident to another staff member the following day. Another staff member, an LVN, recalled hearing loud voices from the resident's room on the night of the incident and stated that it sounded like yelling, though she did not intervene at the time because she was not the assigned nurse for that resident and was unsure of the situation. Interviews with other facility staff indicated that they were aware of the proper procedures for identifying and reporting abuse or neglect, and all denied witnessing similar behavior. The facility's policies required staff to treat residents with kindness, respect, and dignity, and to ensure residents were free from abuse and neglect. The CNA involved in the incident was no longer employed at the facility at the time of the survey.