Failure to Timely Report and Respond to Alleged Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of abuse involving a resident within the required timeframe. On the evening in question, a resident stated they did not want a particular nurse aide to provide care, alleging that the aide had thrown them against the wall. The assigned LPN reassigned another employee to care for the resident for the remainder of the evening but did not immediately notify the Director of Nursing (DON) about the allegation. The DON only became aware of the incident the following day after reading the resident's progress notes and subsequently contacted the LPN for a verbal report. The nurse aide in question continued to work their assigned shift and was not removed from duty after the allegation was made. The facility's abuse policy requires immediate intervention, reporting to proper authorities, and prevention of further potential abuse while an investigation is in process. However, the LPN did not follow these procedures, as they neither reported the incident to management immediately nor removed the accused aide from resident care. The DON confirmed that the LPN had only received undocumented verbal education regarding the need to report such incidents promptly. The nurse aide had access to multiple residents during the shift in question, potentially affecting other individuals in the facility.