Failure to Protect Residents from Physical Abuse by Staff
Penalty
Summary
A staff member, specifically a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), physically abused two residents with dementia. One resident, a female who was independent with mobility and self-feeding, reported that staff had previously shoved her, which made her angry. On the incident date, video and audio footage showed the CNA shoving a male resident in the hallway, causing him to stumble. The CNA then entered a room where the female resident was present. Shortly after, the female resident was seen being propelled across the hallway, hitting the back of her head on the wall, resulting in a loud thud. The female resident sustained an open, bleeding cut to the back of her head that required sutures and developed a large hematoma on her buttock, necessitating emergency medical attention and hospital admission for monitoring. The CNA's actions were not accompanied by any verbal instruction or calls for help, and no other staff were present in the immediate area during the incident. The facility's failure to protect these residents from physical abuse by a staff member resulted in significant injury and the need for hospitalization.