Failure to Prevent Resident-to-Resident Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect residents from physical and verbal abuse by another resident, as evidenced by an incident involving two residents with severe cognitive impairment and diagnoses of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. One resident, known to have a history of aggressive behaviors including screaming, cursing, and physical aggression, was observed by a CNA striking another resident in the back and verbally threatening them. The incident occurred in a common area, with the aggressor yelling at the other resident to be quiet before physically hitting them. Staff interviews confirmed that the aggressor is frequently verbally aggressive towards others and does not like other residents nearby. Following the altercation, the resident who was struck was observed crying and rubbing their arm, indicating psychosocial harm. Multiple staff members and another resident corroborated the aggressor's pattern of abusive behavior, including cursing at other residents. The facility's own Abuse Prevention and Reporting Policy prohibits such abuse, yet the incident and subsequent staff accounts demonstrate a failure to prevent and protect residents from abuse as required.