Failure to Investigate and Report Alleged Verbal Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to investigate and report an allegation of potential staff-to-resident verbal abuse as required by policy and state regulations. A resident reported to the Social Service Director (SSD) that they felt threatened by the Operations Manager (OM), who stated that if the resident did not resolve an outstanding bill, the facility would issue a 30-day notice and, if no alternate placement was found, the OM would take the resident to a homeless shelter with their medications. The SSD acknowledged feeling that the resident was verbally abused but did not notify the facility Administrator or initiate an investigation into the allegation. A review of facility records showed no evidence that the allegation was reported to the State Agency or that an investigation was conducted. Interviews confirmed that the OM made the statements to the resident and that the Administrator was unaware of the allegation, resulting in no investigation or report being submitted as required. The facility's policy mandates immediate reporting and investigation of such allegations, but these steps were not followed in this case.