Failure to Timely Report Alleged Resident-to-Resident Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that all alleged violations involving abuse were reported immediately, but not later than two hours after the allegation was made, to the administrator and to the State Survey Agency. Specifically, an incident was observed in which one resident was seen touching another resident inappropriately. This was immediately reported to the Administrator by a witness. The Administrator then contacted the nurse supervisor and instructed them to intervene and begin an investigation. However, the incident was not reported to the State Agency within the required timeframe. Interviews with facility staff revealed that the Administrator believed the Director of Nursing (DON) would complete the required reporting, while the DON stated they did not report the allegation on time because they had not completed their investigation and had not determined if the incident had occurred. The facility's policy and state regulations require immediate reporting of suspected or actual abuse, regardless of whether the investigation is complete. The delay in reporting resulted in noncompliance with regulatory requirements for timely notification of abuse allegations.