Failure to Report Resident Abuse Allegation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow its abuse policy and procedure when staff did not report an allegation of physical abuse made by a resident. The resident, who was cognitively intact, reported that a CNA became angry after the resident pressed the call light multiple times, took the bed control remote, and hit the resident on the forehead. The resident stated that after the incident, he called the nurse for help but was not believed. The resident was subsequently sent to the emergency room and received stitches for a forehead laceration. The incident was not reported to the facility's abuse coordinator or administration as required by policy. Interviews with the CNA and RN involved revealed that the resident was resistant to care and that the injury occurred when the resident pulled the bed remote from the CNA, causing it to hit his forehead. Both staff members acknowledged that the resident accused the CNA of hitting him, but neither reported the allegation to facility administration. The nurse practitioner also documented the resident's report of being hit by staff but did not report the allegation to the administrator. The facility's policy requires immediate reporting of all abuse allegations to the administrator and to the state within two hours, which did not occur in this case.