Failure to Protect Resident from Inappropriate Physical Contact by Staff
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident, who had multiple medical diagnoses including surgical aftercare, dysthymic disorder, and hypertensive heart disease, was subjected to inappropriate physical contact by a nurse aide. The resident, who was alert and oriented, reported that the nurse aide grabbed their wrist too hard during an altercation that began with a verbal argument between the nurse aide and an LPN in the hallway. The resident intervened by asking the nurse aide to calm down, at which point the nurse aide approached and grabbed the resident's wrist. The resident immediately objected to being touched and pulled away, stating, 'don't touch me.' Multiple staff statements corroborated that the nurse aide engaged in a loud verbal altercation and then physically grabbed the resident's wrist in the hallway. The incident was witnessed by other staff and reported to the nursing supervisor. The facility's policy mandates zero tolerance for abuse and requires staff to prevent any form of abuse or neglect. The nurse aide's actions were in direct violation of this policy, as the physical contact was not warranted and occurred in the context of a heated exchange.