Failure to Report Allegation of Mental/Emotional Abuse as Required
Penalty
Summary
A nurse was observed telling a resident that she could not have her pain medication, Tylenol, until she ate at least half of her food, despite there being no such requirement in the resident's medical orders. The resident expressed that she did not feel like eating because her arm was hurting and confirmed that she had been told she needed to eat to receive her medication. The nurse left the dining room without administering the medication, and the situation was only rectified after intervention by facility staff following the surveyor's report of the incident. A review of the facility's abuse prohibition policy revealed that allegations of mental or emotional abuse are required to be reported to state agencies within specific time frames. However, interviews with the Director of Nursing, Person in Charge, and Corporate RN confirmed that this allegation was not reported as required. The failure to report the incident constituted noncompliance with the facility's own abuse prohibition policy.