Failure to Timely Report Alleged Resident-to-Resident Abuse
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to report an incident of potential abuse involving a resident who was allegedly shoved into a wall by a roommate. The family member of the affected resident immediately informed facility staff about the physical altercation. However, the registered nurse on duty did not notify the State Agency of the abuse allegation, despite being informed of the incident during shift change. The nurse subsequently reported the allegation to the facility administrator and director of nursing more than two hours after becoming aware of it. The administrator confirmed that no report was made to the State Agency regarding the incident, which was contrary to the facility's abuse prevention policy requiring all suspected or alleged cases of abuse to be reported within the mandated two-hour timeframe.