F0610 F610: Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
D

Failure to Secure Entry During Abuse Investigation

Cooney Healthcare And RehabilitationHelena, Montana Survey Completed on 09-11-2025

Summary

The facility failed to put effective measures in place to prevent further potential abuse while an investigation was in process for one resident with a BIMS score of 9 and moderate cognitive impairment. The State Survey Agency received a report of potential sexual abuse involving the resident, but staff described ongoing difficulty controlling access to the building, especially at night, and stated the front doors were not routinely locked. One staff member said it was harder at night to prevent the resident’s son from coming in, while another stated the front doors were never locked or expected to be locked until that night. Staff interviews showed the visitor sign-in process was not consistently enforced because the receptionist had other duties and was not always at the desk. The office assistant stated she could not control every visitor and sometimes had to leave the desk for other tasks or to use the bathroom. Supervisory staff acknowledged the need for coverage at the front desk but could not identify alternative solutions. Survey observations also found the front doors unlocked on one evening, and later found the front door locked but the rehabilitation doors propped open and unlocked with no alarm, allowing entry and exit without detection. The facility policy titled, Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Misappropriation Prevention Program, stated residents should be protected from any further harm during investigations.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

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See other F0610 citations
Failure to Investigate Allegation of Misappropriation
D
F0610 F610: Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Short Summary

Failure to Investigate Allegation of Misappropriation: A resident with COPD, anxiety, and PTSD reported $1,600 missing and believed another resident had taken the money, but the SSD told him it was too late to investigate. The grievance record and reporting portal contained no misappropriation report for the resident, and the CNO recalled hearing about missing funds from a family member but did not follow up, while the CEO stated the allegation should have been reported and investigated.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Incomplete Investigation of Penile Laceration
D
F0610 F610: Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Short Summary

The facility failed to complete a thorough investigation after a resident sustained a 7 cm penile laceration associated with a condom catheter. The resident had a stroke, contractures, cognitive communication deficit, and non-healing pressure ulcers, and the incident record lacked a full investigation or staff statements to determine the root cause and rule out abuse or neglect.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Incomplete Abuse Investigation
D
F0610 F610: Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Short Summary

Incomplete Abuse Investigation: The DON investigated an allegation that a resident with dementia, depression, and a prior femur fracture was treated roughly during a shower, but only interviewed one CNA named on the abuse report. Another CNA was also assigned to the resident and documented providing the shower, yet was not interviewed, and no other residents cared for by either CNA were interviewed. The facility's abuse policy required thorough investigation, including staff and resident interviews, and the DON stated the policy was not followed.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Incomplete Investigation of Alleged Staff-to-Resident Sexual Abuse
D
F0610 F610: Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Short Summary

Incomplete Investigation of Alleged Staff-to-Resident Sexual Abuse: The facility failed to thoroughly investigate an allegation that a CNA raped a resident during incontinence care. The resident, who had intact cognition and significant medical diagnoses, reported genital and anal touching and later said embarrassment affected how they described the event. The record lacked a written or recorded resident statement, and the facility concluded abuse did not occur based on conflicting accounts rather than documenting a comprehensive investigation of all evidence.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Incomplete Abuse Investigations and Missing Conclusions
E
F0610 F610: Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Short Summary

The facility failed to thoroughly investigate two resident abuse allegations. In one case, an altercation with a scratch injury was recorded as an accident/incident, but the final report had no abuse conclusion and the Abuse Coordinator did not interview the residents, observe the injury, or document staff witness statements. In another case, the final report also lacked a conclusion, interview notes could not be produced, and CNAs who were present or witnessed the altercation were not interviewed despite progress notes showing CNA presence.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Thoroughly Investigate Allegations of Neglect and Possible Abuse
D
F0610 F610: Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Short Summary

Failure to Thoroughly Investigate Allegations of Neglect and Possible Abuse: A resident with significant care needs alleged a CNA left her on a bedpan too long, spilled urine/feces in bed, and performed an unsafe hoyer transfer, while another resident was heard screaming during a one-person hoyer transfer. The facility did not complete a thorough abuse/neglect investigation because it did not interview the second resident, other potentially affected residents, or assess non-interviewable residents.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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