Failure to Protect Residents from Mental Abuse and Neglect
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect two residents from mental abuse and neglect, as evidenced by staff actions that disregarded residents' rights and care plan interventions. For one resident with dementia and muscle weakness, an employee entered the resident's room, turned off the call bell, and told the resident not to ring the call bell again after the resident requested ice water. This occurred despite the resident's care plan specifying that the call bell should be kept within reach due to a risk for falls. Another resident, diagnosed with anxiety disorder and difficulty walking, reported that the same employee instructed her not to use her call bell during specific time periods when staff were serving meals, stating that call bells would not be answered during those times. The resident's care plan included interventions to keep the call bell in reach and to reinforce the need to call for assistance. The Director of Nursing confirmed awareness of the alleged abuse and acknowledged that it should not have occurred.