Failure to Immediately Report Staff-to-Resident Verbal Abuse
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to implement the facility's abuse prevention policy when an incident of staff-to-resident verbal abuse was not immediately reported as required. On the morning of the incident, a Qualified Medication Aide (QMA) was overheard by a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) using inappropriate and disrespectful language toward a resident, who subsequently became upset and cried. The LPN did not report the incident immediately, instead spending time with the resident to calm him down. Another Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) also stayed with the resident. The QMA left the area after the incident. The resident involved had diagnoses including schizophrenia, convulsions, morbid severe obesity with alveolar hypoventilation, and hypertension. The incident was not reported to facility administration until several hours later, delaying the initiation of an internal investigation and reporting to state authorities. The facility's policy required immediate reporting of any abuse or suspicion of abuse to the Administrator, which was not followed in this case.