Failure to Timely Report Alleged Abuse to State Agency
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that an allegation of abuse was reported to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) as required by state law and facility policy. Specifically, a resident with diagnoses including dementia and anxiety disorder, who was cognitively intact according to a recent assessment, threatened to physically harm another resident. This incident was documented in a progress note, and the resident was subsequently sent to the emergency room for evaluation and admitted. Despite the facility's policy requiring immediate reporting of suspected abuse to the Director of Nursing and RIDOH, the Director of Nursing acknowledged during a surveyor interview that the incident was not reported to RIDOH. The failure to report the allegation of abuse in a timely manner constituted noncompliance with both state regulations and the facility's own procedures.