Failure to Protect Resident from Verbal Abuse by Staff
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to protect a resident from verbal abuse during care provision. On the evening of the incident, two staff members were providing care to a resident who was experiencing significant pain and vocalizing distress, stating that they were dying due to cancer. One staff member responded to the resident by saying, "well go ahead and die then so you can stop all this screaming." This statement was overheard by the resident's family member, who was on the phone with the resident at the time. The family member later visited the facility and received confirmation from the second staff member present that the statement had indeed been made. The resident involved had been admitted with a diagnosis of malignant neoplasm of the bone (bone cancer). The facility's investigation included statements from the family member and the second staff member, both corroborating the incident. The facility's policy defines verbal abuse as the use of disparaging or derogatory terms directed at residents or their families. The administrator confirmed the occurrence of verbal abuse by the staff member during an interview.