Failure to Timely Submit Abuse Investigation Report to State Agency
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report the results of an abuse investigation to the administrator or designated representative and to the state survey agency within the required 5 working days. Specifically, after a resident reported that a PASRR representative placed an item on a store checkout belt and the resident paid for it, the facility initiated an investigation. The incident was reported to the state survey agency, and the local health authority was notified that the representative would no longer be allowed in the facility. The investigation ultimately concluded that the allegation was unconfirmed, and there were no witnesses to the incident. Despite these actions, the facility did not submit the required provider investigation report to the state survey agency within the mandated timeframe. Record review of the TULIP website confirmed that the 5-day report had not been turned in. During interviews, facility leadership was unable to provide proof that the report was submitted, and attempts to contact the previous administrator responsible for the report were unsuccessful. The facility's own policy required that such reports be sent to the state agency within five working days using the designated form, but this was not done in this case.