Failure to Report Alleged Abuse Resulting in Resident Injury
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of employee-to-resident abuse involving one resident who was hospitalized with a concussion after allegedly being physically assaulted in the forehead with an unknown object by an unidentified agency staff member. The resident reported the incident to local police and was transferred to the hospital following the event. The facility's Director of Nursing (DON) and Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) conducted an internal investigation within an hour of being informed of the allegations but determined that the abuse was unsubstantiated and therefore did not report the incident to the State Agency. A review of the facility's abuse policy indicated that all allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment, injuries of unknown source, misappropriation of resident property, and crimes are to be reported immediately to the Administrator and to the State Survey Agency within two hours if the allegation involves abuse or results in serious bodily injury. Despite this policy, the facility did not report the allegation to the State Agency, as required, after concluding their internal investigation.