Failure to Protect Resident from Staff Mistreatment
Penalty
Summary
A staff member failed to protect a resident's right to be free from mistreatment. During an incident, a Certified Nurse's Aide (CNA) was observed placing her hand over a resident's mouth while the resident was yelling during care. Another CNA witnessed this action, which resulted in the resident's voice being muffled, and confronted the staff member. The CNA who committed the act reportedly expressed frustration with the resident's behavior and made an inappropriate comment about the resident's mental health status. The incident was reported to the nurse manager and subsequently to the facility administrator. The resident involved had a medical history including parkinsonism, bipolar disorder with severe psychotic features, and schizoaffective disorder. The facility's policy prohibits abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and requires immediate investigation of any allegations. The staff member accused of the mistreatment was suspended and later terminated following the incident. The deficiency centers on the failure to protect the resident from physical and psychosocial harm by a staff member during the provision of care.