Failure to Conduct Thorough Investigation of Alleged Physical Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to thoroughly investigate an alleged incident of physical abuse involving a resident and a Feeding Assistant (FA). According to the facility's policy, all allegations of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment must be reported to appropriate authorities within specified timeframes and require a comprehensive investigation, including identifying and interviewing all involved persons, witnesses, and others with potential knowledge of the incident. On 10/14/24, an allegation was made that FA #200 struck a resident on the shoulder. The facility completed a reportable event, suspended the FA, and obtained a statement from her confirming she may have struck the resident while attempting to redirect the resident's hands away from her face. However, the investigation did not include obtaining witness statements from all staff working at the time of the incident or interviewing other residents who may have had relevant information regarding the FA. This omission was confirmed by the Administrator during an interview, who acknowledged that these steps were not taken. The lack of a comprehensive investigation as outlined in facility policy constitutes the deficiency.