Failure to Report and Intervene on Escalating Resident Behaviors Leading to Resident-to-Resident Injury
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to report resident-to-resident verbal abuse and escalating behaviors by a resident with known behavioral issues (Resident B) toward his roommate (Resident C) to administration or appropriate supervisory staff. Resident B had multiple diagnoses including vascular dementia with behaviors, delusional and psychotic disorders, anxiety, and intellectual disabilities, and his most recent Annual MDS showed physical, verbal, and other behaviors that significantly interfered with care and activities and posed significant risk of physical injury and disruption to others. His care plan called for monitoring and documenting target behaviors such as violence or aggression toward others and separating him from others as needed when behaviors were disruptive. In early December, medication administration notes documented that Resident B was yelling at his roommate on at least two occasions and was given PRN lorazepam for agitation and anxiety. On 12/11/25, a behavior note documented that staff heard Resident B yelling, found him standing and hovering over Resident C while yelling, and assisted him back to bed, again administering PRN lorazepam. Despite this, there were no new interventions implemented, no change in room assignment, and no documented notifications to the DON, Administrator, charge nurse, Memory Care Director, or other responsible leadership regarding these behaviors. Staff later reported that Resident B “yelled all the time” and that the nurse on duty did not report the incident of hovering over the roommate to anyone, and key staff including the Memory Care Director, Nurse Consultant, and primary day-shift RN were unaware of the 12/11/25 incident. Both residents remained in the same room, and on 12/28/25 an incident note documented that Resident B and Resident C were involved in a physical altercation. The residents were separated and assessed; Resident B had no injuries, but Resident C was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with a depressed fracture of the anterior wall of the left maxilla with associated maxillary hemorrhage. The facility’s behavior management policy in effect at the time required staff who witnessed behaviors to report them to the resident’s care staff and document accordingly, and to temporarily separate residents if behaviors were disruptive to others. The failure to report and act on the earlier verbal and threatening behaviors, including the hovering and yelling over the roommate, led to a lack of interventions to prevent the later physical altercation that caused injury.
Removal Plan
- Implemented a plan of correction and held a quality assurance meeting with department heads
- Inserviced all staff on the different types of abuse and reporting abuse
- Inserviced staff on the behavior management program for residents with new or worsening behaviors, including when and who to report those behaviors
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