Administrator's Verbal Abuse Toward Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure residents were free from abuse, specifically verbal abuse, as evidenced by multiple interviews and observations involving the Administrator's conduct. Residents reported feeling verbally abused and intimidated by the Administrator's negative comments, loud and mean tone, and dismissive behavior. One resident described feeling very sad, hopeless, and physically shaken when recounting their experience, while another stated they felt scared and unsafe due to the Administrator's manner of speaking. Staff corroborated these concerns, noting that residents had reported not feeling safe and that the Administrator's interactions were rough and lacked respect. The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) acknowledged receiving feedback about the Administrator's behavior and personally witnessed the Administrator addressing residents in a raised voice with animated gestures during a resident council meeting, which made the CNO and the group feel anxious and uncomfortable. Additional staff confirmed the Administrator's rude tone and tendency to cut off residents in conversation. Review of the facility's abuse investigation documentation revealed that another resident also felt verbally abused by the Administrator. The facility's own policies define verbal abuse as the use of oral, written, or gestured language that includes disparaging or derogatory terms, and guarantee residents' rights to dignity, respect, and freedom from abuse.