Failure to Report Resident-to-Resident Abuse to State Authorities
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of abuse to the Oklahoma State Department of Health as required by policy. According to the facility's abuse prohibition policy, the Administrator or DON is responsible for initiating an immediate investigation of alleged abuse and notifying the state department within 24 hours, with a follow-up report within 5 working days. In this incident, a resident with severe cognitive impairment and multiple psychiatric diagnoses was witnessed by staff physically striking another resident near the neck, shoulder, and head area. Both residents were immediately separated and assessed, and the doctor and DON were notified. The resident who was struck did not sustain any injuries. Despite the incident meeting the criteria for reportable abuse, the event was not reported to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Interviews with the ADON and DON confirmed that the incident should have been reported, and the DON stated they were not notified of the event. The failure to report the incident as required constitutes a deficiency in the facility's abuse reporting procedures.