Failure to Report Allegation of Neglect to Authorities
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to notify state and local authorities of an allegation of neglect involving a resident who reported that a call bell in another resident's room was not answered for several hours during the night. The reporting resident observed an LPN sleeping at the nurse's station and later noted that the call light remained unanswered until another nurse completed medication administration. The resident expressed concern that the unattended call light could have resulted in harm to the other resident. Additionally, the same resident overheard staff discussing that two residents had not been changed overnight due to unanswered call bells. A nurse aide found another resident with a saturated brief and pad, who reported not receiving care overnight. The nurse aide immediately reported this to the supervising RN, who also observed the resident's condition and reported it to the DON as a possible neglect incident. Despite these reports and the facility's policy requiring prompt reporting of suspected neglect to authorities, the DON did not notify state or local agencies, instead handling the matter solely through the facility's grievance process. The facility's own policies defined neglect as the failure to provide necessary care and required reporting such allegations to external authorities.