Failure to Develop Clear Policies for Reporting Suspected Crimes to Law Enforcement
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement comprehensive policies and procedures for reporting suspected crimes to law enforcement, as required. The existing Abuse, Neglect, Mistreatment and Misappropriation of Resident Property policy stated that local law enforcement should be notified of any reasonable suspicion of a crime against a resident and that suspected crimes or alleged sexual abuse must be immediately reported to law enforcement for investigation. However, the policy did not provide further examples of crimes that should be reported or specify the timeframe for reporting. During interviews, both the DON and the administrator were unclear about which crimes should be reported to law enforcement and when, with the administrator acknowledging that the policy was vague and lacked necessary detail. The policy only specifically mentioned reporting drug diversion to the state agency and the Board of Nursing, but did not address broader requirements for law enforcement notification.