Failure to Protect Resident from Verbal Abuse by Staff
Penalty
Summary
A facility failed to protect a resident from verbal abuse by a staff member during the provision of activities of daily living (ADL) care. The incident involved a Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA) who made inappropriate comments regarding the resident's bowel movements and further told the resident that they should be in a hospital rather than the facility. The resident was upset by these statements, and the incident was reported by the resident's family. The resident had a care plan in place for psychosocial well-being, which included encouragement for communication. The facility conducted an internal investigation and determined the allegation of verbal abuse to be unsubstantiated, despite the GNA admitting to making the upsetting statements. The Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that the GNA did not receive re-education on abuse prohibition, although other nursing staff did. The DON also acknowledged that the GNA admitted to the statements but believed there was no intent to harm and that adequate care was provided after the incident. The surveyor noted that the determination of verbal abuse is based on the resident's perception, and in this case, the resident felt verbally abused.