Failure to Report Abuse Allegations to Police and Physician
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report allegations of abuse, neglect, or injuries of unknown origin to the local police department and the physician as required by its own abuse prevention policy. Specifically, five residents were involved in incidents of resident-to-resident physical abuse, staff-to-resident physical abuse, and injuries of unknown origin. Although facility documentation indicated that the police and physician were notified for each incident, interviews with the local police department and the facility's medical director revealed that neither party had any record or knowledge of these reports. The administrator responsible for abuse prevention admitted to not having proof of contacting the police and relied on nursing staff documentation for physician and family notifications, which could not be substantiated. The incidents included one resident smacking another's face, another swatting a resident's back, a resident grabbing another's wrist, and a staff member allegedly handling a resident roughly, resulting in a bruise. Despite the facility's policy requiring immediate reporting to authorities, the lack of verifiable communication with the police and physician was confirmed through interviews and record reviews. The administrator acknowledged the absence of documentation to support that proper notifications were made, and the medical director confirmed that neither he nor the on-call physicians were informed of the abuse allegations.