Failure to Report and Investigate Allegations of Abuse and Misappropriation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report allegations of abuse, neglect, and misappropriation of property to the Oklahoma State Department of Health as required by both facility policy and state law. According to a progress note, a resident reported to an LPN that they were involved in a romantic relationship with a CNA, that an unidentified LPN had sexually assaulted a resident on two occasions, and that an unidentified CNA was living at the resident's home and receiving monthly payments from the resident. The LPN documented that these allegations were communicated to the Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) and the administrator. Upon interview, the administrator confirmed awareness of the allegations but stated they had not reported the incident or participated in the investigation, as those responsibilities were assigned to the Director of Nursing (DON). However, the DON stated she had not seen the progress note or been informed of the allegations prior to being shown the note by the surveyor, and therefore had not reported the allegations to the state or initiated an investigation. This sequence of events resulted in the facility's failure to report and investigate serious allegations as required.