Resident-to-Resident Physical Abuse in Common Area
Penalty
Summary
A resident with severe cognitive impairment and a history of unspecified intracranial injury was sitting outside during a smoke break when another resident, also severely cognitively impaired and diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, stood up and hit the first resident in the face. Clinical documentation confirmed that the incident resulted in mild redness to the face of the assaulted resident. The event was witnessed and documented in progress notes and a skin assessment, which verified the physical evidence of the altercation. Staff interviews confirmed that the incident occurred in a common area designated for smoking and that such resident-to-resident altercations are recognized as abuse under facility policy. The facility's abuse policy defines abuse as the willful infliction of injury, including physical acts such as hitting. The report details that the incident was identified as abuse by staff and that the facility's policy recognizes this type of event as a violation of residents' rights to be free from abuse.