Failure to Protect Resident from Physical Abuse by Another Resident
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a male resident physically assaulted another male resident by punching him in the face multiple times. On the day of the incident, the aggressor had been agitated and displayed verbal and physical aggression toward staff, while the victim was experiencing an episode of psychosis and was not easily redirected. Staff witnessed the assault in the facility's front lobby area, where the aggressor struck the victim with a closed fist, resulting in a small, bluish-purple, swollen area and a cut under the victim's right eye. The two residents were immediately separated by staff, and the victim received ice for his injury. The clinical records indicated that the victim had diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and anxiety, and was cognitively intact according to a recent assessment. The aggressor had diagnoses of dementia, anxiety, and depression, and was noted to be severely cognitively impaired. The facility's policy, which was in place at the time, required the prevention of abuse, but the incident demonstrated a failure to protect a resident from physical abuse by another resident.