Failure to Protect Resident from Physical Abuse by Another Resident
Penalty
Summary
A resident with severe cognitive impairment, wandering behaviors, and diagnoses including encephalopathy and agitation was involved in an incident where they entered another resident's room in the memory care unit. The resident whose room was entered asked the wandering resident to leave, and when this did not occur, physically struck the wandering resident in the nose, resulting in a bloody nose. The incident was documented in the facility's records, and the resident who was struck was able to stop the bleeding on their own. Interviews confirmed that the resident who struck the other admitted to the action, and the event was reported to the affected resident's representative. Staff interviews revealed that the assessment following the altercation confirmed the physical injury and emotional impact on the resident who was struck. The incident was also confirmed by the DON, who acknowledged the physical altercation and resulting injury. The deficiency centers on the facility's failure to protect a resident from physical abuse by another resident, as required by regulations.