Verbal Abuse of Cognitively Impaired Resident by CNA
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a certified nursing assistant (CNA) was verbally abusive to a resident with impaired cognition and multiple mental health diagnoses, including schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety. The resident required significant assistance with daily activities and was dependent on staff for personal care. During an observation, the CNA yelled loudly and aggressively at the resident, telling her to stop crying or the door would be shut. The resident was observed crying quietly at the time, and there were no progress notes documenting the incident. The CNA later justified her behavior by stating the resident was upsetting others and needed to stop. The resident was later interviewed and reported feeling scared when the CNA yelled at her. Additional observations showed the resident crying with staff attempting to console her, and at another time, she was quietly in her room without distress. The facility's policy on abuse, neglect, and misappropriation was reviewed and indicated an intent to prevent such incidents and ensure proper staff screening. However, the actions of the CNA constituted verbal abuse, and the facility failed to protect the resident from this mistreatment.