Failure to Timely Report Alleged Verbal Abuse Incident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to timely report an incident of alleged verbal abuse involving a resident with chronic pain syndrome, major depressive disorder, and hypertension, who was cognitively intact. On the day of the incident, a CNA observed another CNA hush the resident, make hand gestures for her to stop talking, and throw dirty linens on the floor while making a derogatory comment about being soiled. The CNA who witnessed the event wrote a statement and placed it under the doors of all directors that night, resulting in the report being received the following day. The CNA acknowledged that the Executive Director (ED) should have been notified sooner. Other staff, including an Occupational Therapist (OT) and the Social Service Director (SSD), became aware of the resident's distress on the same day, but the resident did not disclose the details of the incident to the SSD until the next day. The Director of Nursing (DON) and the ED were not made aware of the alleged abuse until the morning after the incident, when they received the written statement. The facility's abuse policy required immediate notification of the charge nurse and the ED when abuse is witnessed or suspected, which was not followed in this case.