Failure to Thoroughly Investigate Abuse Allegation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to thoroughly investigate an allegation of abuse involving a resident with intellectual disabilities who reported being inappropriately touched by another resident with a traumatic brain injury. The initial report was sent to the state surveying agency, but the facility's investigation did not include any staff or resident interviews. Documentation provided by the administrator listed residents who were supposedly interviewed, but upon further inquiry, some of these residents stated they were not interviewed about the incident. Additionally, the staff member who was documented as having reported the incident denied any knowledge of the allegation and stated she did not report it. The facility's abuse prevention policy requires that all allegations of abuse be investigated within the timeframes required by federal law. Despite this, the investigation was incomplete, lacking interviews with key individuals and containing inconsistencies in the documentation of who was interviewed and who reported the incident. The administrator maintained that the investigation was complete, even though evidence showed otherwise.