Failure to Report Allegations of Verbal Abuse and Misappropriation of Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure timely reporting of allegations of verbal abuse and misappropriation of resident property as required by federal regulations and its own policies. Specifically, staff did not report allegations of verbal abuse involving two residents, despite both the residents and a witness describing the LPN's behavior as loud, demeaning, and intimidating. The LPN admitted to speaking loudly, and a CNA corroborated the negative and vulgar conduct. The incident was not reported to the Director of Nursing, and the DON confirmed she was unaware of the situation, stating that staff are required to report such allegations and that the nurse would have been removed from resident care pending investigation if reported. Additionally, the facility failed to report multiple allegations of theft of resident funds involving five residents to the State Agency. The Administrator acknowledged that several residents had reported missing money but stated that reimbursement was not provided due to lack of verification of the amounts lost. The Administrator also admitted to not knowing that such incidents needed to be reported to the State Agency. The facility's policy requires immediate reporting of abuse and misappropriation allegations to appropriate authorities, but this protocol was not followed in these cases.