Failure to Protect Resident from Verbal Abuse by Another Resident
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident verbally abused another resident in the hallway, using derogatory language and profanities. The incident was witnessed by staff and documented in behavior notes, which described the aggressor yelling and cursing at the other resident to move her chair. Despite the victim's request for patience and to not be spoken to in such a manner, the verbal abuse escalated, with the aggressor continuing to use inappropriate language. Multiple staff interviews confirmed the occurrence of the verbal altercation, with one nurse noting that the aggressor was in a hurry for a smoke break and became increasingly angry, yelling profanities as he moved through the facility. The resident subjected to the verbal abuse reported feeling hurt and stated that the aggressor frequently yells at others, expressing that no action was taken to address the behavior at the time. Both residents involved were capable of making their own healthcare decisions and had significant medical histories, including chronic illnesses and mental health conditions. The facility's policies on abuse prevention and residents' rights explicitly prohibit verbal abuse and require protection from such incidents, but these were not effectively implemented in this case.