Failure to Timely Investigate and Suspend Staff Following Abuse Allegation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow its abuse prevention and reporting policy by not promptly investigating an allegation of sexual abuse and not immediately suspending the alleged perpetrator. A female resident with intact cognition and a history of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and suicidal ideations reported that a nurse inappropriately applied cream to her genital area during wound care, which made her feel violated. The resident reported the incident to the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service Coordinator (PRSC), who immediately informed the Social Service Director, and both reported the allegation to the Administrator on the same day. Despite the facility's policy requiring immediate removal of employees accused of abuse from resident contact, the nurse continued to work for eight days after the allegation was reported. The Director of Nursing (DON) was informed of the incident three days after it was reported to the Administrator, and the nurse was not suspended until eight days after the initial report. Additionally, the facility did not report the allegation to the state surveying agency within the required two-hour timeframe, instead reporting it seven days after the incident was brought to the facility's attention.