Failure to Timely Report Abuse Allegations
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure timely reporting of abuse allegations for two residents out of a sample of twenty. In both cases, the facility did not report the allegations of abuse to the State Survey Agency within the required two-hour timeframe from the occurrence of the incidents. For one resident, the initial report of abuse was documented at 7:30 AM, but the report was not submitted to the State Agency until 11:30 AM. For the second resident, the initial report was made at 8:30 AM, but the State Agency was not notified until 11:20 AM. Both delays exceeded the facility's policy and regulatory requirement for reporting within two hours. Interviews with facility staff, including the Administrator and Resident Care Manager, confirmed awareness of the two-hour reporting requirement and acknowledged that the reporting in these cases was not timely. The facility's policy, revised in January 2023, clearly states that any suspicion of abuse or serious injury must be reported to the State Survey Agency within two hours. The failure to adhere to this policy and regulatory standard placed all residents at risk for continued potential abuse.