Failure to Timely Report Alleged Verbal Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that allegations of verbal abuse were reported immediately to the Administrator and in a timely manner to the State Agency for one resident. The resident, who was cognitively intact and required some assistance with activities of daily living, reported that the Social Service Director (SSD) yelled at her. Multiple Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) witnessed the SSD yelling at the resident, going through her drawers, slamming them, and slamming the door upon leaving. Despite witnessing the incident, none of the CNAs reported the event, expressing a belief that reporting would not result in any action by management. There was no documentation in the resident's electronic medical record regarding the alleged verbal abuse, and the incident was not reported until it was brought to the attention of the facility by a state surveyor. The facility's policy requires immediate reporting of abuse allegations to the Administrator and timely reporting to all required agencies, but this protocol was not followed in this case. The lack of timely reporting and documentation constituted a failure to comply with the facility's abuse prevention and reporting policies.