Failure to Immediately Report Alleged Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that allegations of abuse were immediately reported as required. A resident reported to a nurse that a Geriatric Nurse Assistant had touched them inappropriately during care. The resident stated that the night nurse was informed of the incident on the same day it occurred, but the nurse did not report the allegation to a supervisor in a timely manner. Further review showed that another LPN became aware of the allegation during a meeting with the resident and immediately notified the Social Worker, Administrator, and Director of Nursing. The administrative record and staff interviews confirmed that the initial staff members who received the resident's report did not follow the facility's expectation to report abuse allegations immediately to administration. The deficiency was identified during a complaint survey, and the facility's investigation found that the required immediate reporting protocol was not followed by the night shift nurse and the LPN who first received the allegation.