Failure to Report Alleged Abuse to State Agency
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of abuse involving two residents, one of whom was severely cognitively impaired and dependent on staff for most activities of daily living, while the other was cognitively intact and able to self-propel in a wheelchair. According to the facility's abuse summary report, a certified nurse aide reported to the administrator that the cognitively intact resident had put his hand on the inner thighs of the cognitively impaired resident and kissed her on the side of her neck. The aide immediately removed the resident from the area, and the administrator subsequently reviewed camera footage and interviewed staff and other residents present at the time of the incident. Despite the facility's policy requiring that any allegation of abuse be reported to the State Agency unless it can be immediately refuted, the administrator did not report the incident to the State Agency. The administrator acknowledged that an investigation was initiated but confirmed that no report was made to the required authorities, as stipulated by facility policy. This failure to report the allegation constituted a deficiency in the facility's abuse reporting procedures.