Verbal Abuse Involving Inappropriate and Racially Charged Comments by Staff
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident was subjected to inappropriate and potentially racially charged verbal comments by the Rehabilitation Director (RD) in the presence of other staff members. The incident took place during a discussion about the condition of the resident's room, specifically the walls being only half painted. The RD responded to the resident's complaint by making a comment referencing prison, which the resident found offensive, especially as he stated he had never been to prison and that prison was no place for an educated black man. The RD then remarked that she was 'outnumbered' and left the room, a statement interpreted by those present as referring to the racial makeup of the group. The resident was visibly upset during subsequent interviews, raising his voice and appearing emotional when recounting the incident. Multiple staff members, including an LPN and a QMA who were present, corroborated the resident's account of the RD's comments. The facility's investigation included statements from those involved, confirming the sequence of events and the nature of the remarks made. The resident was found to be cognitively intact, with a BIMS score of 15, and was able to clearly articulate his experience. The facility's policy defines verbal abuse as the use of disparaging or derogatory language toward residents, which was not adhered to in this instance.