Failure to Timely Report Resident-to-Resident Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to recognize and report an incident of potential abuse within the required two-hour timeframe for two residents involved in a resident-to-resident altercation. According to facility policy, all allegations of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or misappropriation of resident property must be reported immediately, but no later than two hours after the allegation is made. In this case, an unwitnessed incident occurred in which one resident was found on the ground in another resident's room after staff heard a noise. The resident was assessed and found to have no injuries, while the other resident was sent for psychiatric evaluation. The incident was initially reported as an injury rather than abuse, and the Director of Nursing later acknowledged that it should have been recognized and reported as abuse within the required timeframe.