Staff Member Engages in Verbal Abuse Toward Resident
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a staff member engaged in a loud, profane verbal exchange with a resident in the dining room, violating the resident's right to be free from verbal abuse. The incident was witnessed by multiple staff members, including the Maintenance Director, Housekeeping Supervisor, Activities Director, and a Certified Nursing Assistant. The staff member, a housekeeper, responded to the resident's profanities by repeating the same profane language back to the resident in a public area. The Administrator overheard the exchange but was initially unaware that an employee was involved. The resident involved had a history of Focal Traumatic Brain Injury and Pseudobulbar Affect, with a documented severe cognitive impairment as indicated by a BIMS score of 4. The facility's policy clearly prohibits all forms of abuse, including verbal abuse, and mandates that residents be protected from such treatment. Despite this, the staff member's actions constituted verbal abuse as defined by facility policy and were validated by the facility's internal investigation.