Failure to Timely Report Suspected Abuse Incidents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report incidents of suspected abuse involving two residents. According to interviews and record reviews, a staff member and a visitor reported that a resident's spouse was verbally abusive to both their spouse and another resident. The spouse confronted another resident in the hallway, pointed a finger, and made aggressive statements, causing the second resident to become visibly upset and cry. The spouse then took their partner into a room and closed the door, after which the resident appeared distressed and expressed a desire to leave the room. These events were witnessed by staff and visitors, and were documented in progress notes by the Social Worker and DON. Despite these documented incidents and witness statements, the facility did not submit incident reports to the State Licensing Agency for either resident. While a report was filed with Adult Protective Services (APS) regarding the incident between the resident and their spouse, no report was made to APS or the State Licensing Agency regarding the incident involving the second resident. During interviews, the DON and Administrator confirmed their lack of awareness of the requirement to report to both APS and the State Licensing Agency, and acknowledged that no such reports had been made.