Failure to Timely Report Alleged Resident-to-Resident Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report allegations of abuse to the State Agency in a timely manner, as required by policy. Two residents were involved in an incident where one resident, who had a history of wandering and behavioral issues, was struck and scratched by another resident with a history of aggression and multiple psychiatric diagnoses. The incident occurred when a staff member witnessed one resident hitting another in the face and scratching her arms and face while attempting to remove her from another resident's room. The affected resident sustained three superficial scratches on the right side of her face. The incident was documented, and appropriate notifications within the facility were made, but the event was not reported to the State Agency. During interviews, the Administrator confirmed that the incident was investigated internally and determined not to be abuse, and therefore was not reported to the State Agency. The facility's policy required reporting abuse allegations to the state survey agency within 24 hours if the event did not involve abuse or result in serious bodily injury. Despite this, the incident was not reported, resulting in noncompliance with regulatory requirements.