Failure to Report Alleged Abuse and Rough Treatment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that all alleged violations involving abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment were reported immediately to the administrator and to the appropriate authorities, including the State Survey Agency, as required by both facility policy and state law. Specifically, a grievance form documented that a resident reported a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) was consistently rough during care, resulting in bruises, and made derogatory comments about the resident's weight. The facility's policy mandates that such allegations be reported immediately, but this was not followed in this instance. During an interview, the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed awareness of the resident's allegations but admitted that the incident was not reported to the state survey agency or law enforcement, as required. The failure to report the allegation of rough treatment and resulting bruising constituted noncompliance with both internal policy and regulatory requirements for timely reporting of suspected abuse.