Failure to Investigate Alleged Abuse Complaints
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to investigate two out of four sampled allegations of abuse involving a resident, despite having a policy in place that outlines the steps for investigating such complaints. According to the facility's Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation policy, any person witnessing or receiving an allegation is required to ensure the resident's safety, notify supervisors, and initiate an internal investigation, including written reports and notification to appropriate authorities if necessary. However, record review revealed that grievances filed by a resident on two separate occasions, which included allegations of verbal abuse and inappropriate staff behavior, were not investigated as required by facility policy. Specifically, the grievances detailed incidents where the resident reported being denied access to a nurse, being spoken to in a disrespectful manner by a Licensed Nursing Assistant, and being told by a nurse to "shut up and go to sleep" when requesting assistance. There was no documentation or evidence that these allegations were investigated internally by the facility. The administrator confirmed during an interview that no internal investigation was conducted into any of the grievances alleging abuse.