Failure to Timely Report and Investigate Abuse and Financial Exploitation Allegations
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to its policy and procedure regarding the reporting and investigation of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or misappropriation in two separate incidents. In the first incident, following a resident-to-resident altercation where one resident with severe cognitive impairment struck another cognitively intact resident with a pillow and threatened further harm, the facility did not complete or submit a follow-up investigation report (FIR) within five business days as required by their policy. The administrator acknowledged that the FIR was not completed or sent to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) within the specified timeframe. In the second incident, the facility did not report an allegation of financial abuse within 24 hours as required by policy. A family member raised concerns about another individual obtaining power of attorney over a resident, who was cognitively intact but unsure about the paperwork she had signed. The facility's records confirmed that the concern was communicated to staff, but the administrator did not notify CDPH of the allegation within the required period. Both incidents demonstrate failures to follow established procedures for timely reporting and investigation of abuse allegations.