Resident-to-Resident Physical Abuse Resulting in Injury
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar type, who was cognitively intact, was physically assaulted by another resident with schizophrenia and severely impaired cognition. The incident took place when the cognitively intact resident attempted to intervene during an altercation between the second resident and a mental health worker. The second resident, after being told to wait his turn during an exercise group, became agitated, held the mental health worker down, and spat on her. The first resident intervened to assist the staff member, at which point the second resident pushed the first resident against a wall, causing the resident's head to hit the wall and resulting in a skin tear on the right elbow, a bump to the head, and subsequent complaints of headache, nausea, and dizziness. Facility records and staff interviews confirmed that the altercation was witnessed and documented, and that the resident who was assaulted required transfer to a medical center for further evaluation. The facility's policy states that all residents have the right to be free from abuse, including abuse by other residents. The Director of Nursing acknowledged that residents should be protected from physical abuse within the facility. The failure to prevent this incident resulted in the resident not being free from abuse as required by facility policy.