Failure to Immediately Remove Staff After Abuse Allegation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect a resident from potential further abuse after an allegation was made. A resident with severe cognitive impairment, dementia, paranoid schizophrenia, and anxiety disorder was found with a bruise/skin tear. An agency nurse reported a suspicion that an agency CNA was responsible for the injury. The Director of Nursing (DON) was notified and began an investigation, but the CNA in question was not immediately removed from resident care. Instead, the CNA was reassigned to a different hall and allowed to complete her shift before being removed from the facility until the investigation was completed. Facility policy requires that any employee accused of resident abuse be placed on leave with no resident contact until the investigation is complete. However, the DON did not follow this policy, as the CNA continued to have resident contact during the shift following the allegation. The facility's own documentation and staff interviews confirmed that the accused CNA was not immediately removed from resident care, contrary to established procedures.