Failure to Monitor for Emotional Harm After Alleged Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to monitor two residents for signs and symptoms of emotional harm following allegations of abuse. In the first case, a resident delivered a letter to the Administrator alleging abuse by a CNA. Despite the Director of Nursing's (DON) stated expectation that nurses should monitor alleged victims of abuse every shift for 72 hours, there was no documented evidence in the resident's medical record that such monitoring for emotional harm occurred. In the second case, a nurse reported witnessing a CNA slapping another resident on the arm. Again, upon review, the DON was unable to find documentation that the resident was monitored for emotional harm for 72 hours following the incident. The facility's policy, revised in March 2018, requires staff and physicians to monitor individuals who have been abused for issues related to their medical condition, mood, and function. However, record reviews for both residents did not show evidence that nursing staff followed this protocol after the alleged abuse incidents. The lack of documentation indicates that the required monitoring for emotional harm was not performed as per facility policy.