Resident Exposed to Verbal Abuse by Visitor
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with cerebral palsy, wheelchair dependence, and major depressive disorder was not protected from verbal abuse by another resident's spouse. The resident, who was cognitively intact and had no recent behavioral issues, reported that her roommate's husband accused her of inappropriate behavior and repeatedly used profane and aggressive language towards her. The incident was documented in clinical notes, and the resident expressed feeling scared and angry as a result of the confrontation. Staff interviews confirmed that the incident involved verbal abuse, as defined by facility policy, which includes the use of disparaging or derogatory language within a resident's hearing. The involved staff members acknowledged that the language and behavior exhibited by the visitor constituted verbal abuse. The resident's account was corroborated by staff, who noted that the resident was visibly affected by the incident and continued to discuss it for several days afterward. Despite the facility's policy to protect residents from all forms of abuse, the event occurred when the visitor was able to confront and verbally abuse the resident without immediate intervention to prevent the incident. The documentation and interviews indicate that the facility failed to ensure the resident was free from abuse, as required by regulation, leading to psychosocial harm for the resident involved.