Failure to Timely Report Allegations of Abuse and Neglect
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure timely reporting of allegations of abuse and neglect to the State Survey Agency as required by its own policy and federal regulations. In the first instance, a resident with intact cognition alleged that a CNA had slapped him on the face. The facility became aware of this allegation at 8:30 a.m., but did not enter the incident into the SIMS reporting system until 1:29 p.m., exceeding the required two-hour reporting window for abuse allegations. The administrator confirmed that the report was not submitted within the mandated timeframe. In a separate incident, another resident with severe cognitive impairment and a history of elopement risk exited the facility through a bathroom window. The facility became aware of the elopement at 8:30 a.m., but did not report the incident in the SIMS system until 6:18 p.m., again failing to meet the two-hour reporting requirement. The administrator acknowledged that the elopement was not reported within the required timeframe. Both incidents demonstrate a failure to immediately report allegations of abuse and neglect as outlined in facility policy and regulatory requirements.