Resident Physically Abused by CNA During Night Shift
Penalty
Summary
A resident with diagnoses of hydrocephalus and major depressive disorder, and mild cognitive impairment, reported being physically abused by a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) during the night shift. The incident involved the CNA pushing the resident onto their bed and striking them in the groin. The event was witnessed by the resident's roommate, who corroborated the account. Both the resident and the roommate identified the CNA from a photo lineup, and the facility's investigation found reasonable cause to believe that abuse had occurred. The resident experienced psychosocial harm as a result of the incident, expressing sadness, frustration, and emotional distress during subsequent interviews and psychological evaluation. Although there were no visible physical injuries, the resident became tearful and reported ongoing emotional impact from the event. The resident's care plan included interventions to encourage reporting of threats and feelings of safety, but the incident still occurred, indicating a failure to protect the resident from abuse as required by facility policy and state regulations. The facility's abuse prevention and reporting policy stated that any employee involved in abuse would be disciplined appropriately. Despite ongoing in-services on abuse prevention, the incident took place, and the facility's investigation confirmed the occurrence of abuse. The event was reported to the appropriate authorities, and the CNA was removed from direct care duties pending investigation.