Failure to Protect Resident from Staff Verbal Abuse
Penalty
Summary
A resident with a BIMS score of 15/15 and diagnoses including weakness, schizophrenia, anxiety disorder, depression, and chronic pain syndrome was involved in a verbal altercation with a dietary aide at the kitchen door. The incident occurred when the resident requested two chicken sandwiches and was told only one was available. Both the resident and the dietary aide admitted to yelling and calling each other derogatory names, specifically 'bitch.' Another dietary aide intervened and asked the resident to leave, which he did. There was no physical interaction, but the exchange was loud and disrespectful. Facility camera footage partially captured the incident but lacked audio and did not cover the entire altercation. The facility's leadership was unaware of the event until informed by surveyors. The facility's policy emphasizes protecting residents from all forms of abuse, including verbal abuse by staff. The incident demonstrated a failure to protect the resident from staff-to-resident verbal abuse as required by facility policy.