Failure to Protect Resident from Family Member Abuse
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident, who was cognitively intact and had diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Parkinson's disease, was subjected to verbal and physical abuse by a family member during a visit. The family member became verbally aggressive, used profanity, and pulled the resident by her hair, moving her in her wheelchair from the doorway back into her room. This altercation was witnessed by a nursing assistant, who reported that the resident and family member had a history of bickering, but this was the first time it escalated to physical contact. The family member also threatened to slap the resident out of her chair during the incident. The incident was observed by staff, and the resident later confirmed the details, stating that while she was not physically hurt, she was angered by the family member's actions. The resident declined medical or mental health services following the event and requested that the family member not return for the time being. The facility's investigation confirmed there was no physical harm, and a skin assessment revealed no new areas of concern. The event was reported to local law enforcement, but no charges were filed. The deficiency centers on the facility's failure to protect the resident from all forms of abuse, including physical and verbal abuse, as required.