Failure to Investigate Alleged Verbal Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide evidence that an allegation of verbal abuse made by a resident was thoroughly investigated. The resident reported that staff gave him a hard time when he called for help and specifically mentioned a CNA who expressed reluctance to provide care and used inappropriate language while walking down the hallway. The resident stated he informed the administrator and reviewed security footage with them, but the video did not have sound. At the time of the survey, the administrator was not present in the facility, and the CNA involved was unavailable for interview. Despite requests from surveyors, the facility was unable to provide documentation or verbal confirmation that an investigation into the resident's allegation had been conducted. The facility's abuse policy requires thorough documentation and investigation of all alleged violations, but no such evidence was available for this incident. The lack of investigation and documentation constitutes a failure to respond appropriately to the reported allegation of verbal abuse.