Failure to Timely Report and Investigate Alleged Abuse
Penalty
Summary
A resident, who was cognitively intact and admitted with muscle weakness, reported to a family member that a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) hit his right leg while assisting him back to bed. The family member confronted the LVN, who denied the allegation, but the incident was not documented in the resident's departmental notes. The LVN later acknowledged being aware of the accusation but did not report the alleged abuse to her supervisor or the facility administrator, as required by the facility's abuse policy. The facility's policy mandates that all allegations of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment be reported within 24 hours and investigated within 2 hours, with thorough documentation. However, the LVN failed to follow these procedures, resulting in the incident not being reported or investigated in a timely manner. The administrator confirmed that the LVN should have reported the allegation, and a review of facility records showed no documentation or investigation of the alleged abuse.