Failure to Thoroughly Investigate Alleged Physical Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to thoroughly investigate an alleged incident of physical abuse involving a resident, as required. On 06/06/24, an anonymous report was made to the corporate hotline alleging that a Nurse Aide (NA) defecated on a male resident and drew pictures on the resident with feces. The Assistant Administrator confirmed participation in some resident interviews following the allegation but expressed uncertainty about the occurrence of the incident, attributing the report to a possibly disgruntled employee. The investigation documentation showed that the issue was reported to the Nurse Aide Registry and that the NA no longer worked at the facility, but it was noted that a situation did occur, though not as described by the caller. However, the investigation lacked witness statements from employees who may have had knowledge of the allegation, and the Administrator confirmed there was no documentation or statements from all staff working at the time or who might have relevant information.