Failure to Interview Key Witnesses During Abuse Investigations
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to conduct thorough investigations into multiple alleged abuse incidents by not interviewing families who frequently visit the facility or other residents who may have had knowledge of the alleged events. Specifically, in several cases involving resident-to-resident physical abuse and an incident where a resident reported being handled roughly by unidentified nursing staff, the facility determined the allegations to be unfounded without seeking input from potential witnesses such as family members or other residents. The administrator confirmed that these investigations were considered complete despite not including these interviews. The facility's own abuse policy requires that investigations include interviews with residents, staff, visitors, and vendors, but this was not followed in the reviewed cases.