Definitions
The willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish
What is abuse?
The failure of the facility, it's employees or service providers to provide goods and services to a resident that are necessary to avoid physical harm, pain, mental anguish, or emotional distress.
What is neglect?
Hitting, scratching, punching, kicking, pushing, holding someone down, pinching, poking, grabbing, or slapping.
what is physical abuse?
This facility document provides guidance to staff about abuse prevention.
What is the facility abuse policy?
The act of not giving or withholding, the care or items that a resident needs, to be safe and function as well as they can.
What is abuse?
The deliberate misplacement, exploitation, or wrongful, temporary, or permanent use of a resident's belongings or money without the resident's consent. Taking a resident's perfume, clothes, money, or jewelry.
What is misappropriation of resident property? (review additional information)
The caregiver intentionally fails to meet his/her obligations towards the older person. It includes conscious and intentional attempts to inflict physical or emotional distress on an individual.
What is active neglect?
Swearing, calling people names, making jokes about a person, yelling or screaming at someone, or making comments such as "you're disgusting".
What is verbal abuse?
These individuals should be made aware immediately about all allegations of abuse
Who are the supervisor, DON, and administrator?
(review additional information)
Not giving a resident, a meal because you think they may not eat, not doing the care that the care plan says or using less assistance to transfer a resident than what the care plan indicates.
What is neglect?
This means taking advantage of a resident for personal gain through the use of manipulation, intimidation, threats, or coercion. Making a resident feel afraid of you so that you can use their money assets or personal belongings.
What is exploitation?
The failure to fulfill a caregiving obligation out of lack of awareness or knowledge of the individuals needs and condition. This failure is unintentional and may occur due to a lack of information concerning appropriate caregiving strategies.
What is passive neglect?
Making fun of or ignoring a resident who needs you, or making them afraid of you, or refusing to talk to a resident.
What is mental abuse?
Healthcare workers are examples of individuals that MUST report if they witness abuse or are suspicious that abuse is occurring towards a resident.
Who are mandated reporters?
(review additional information)
For injury of unknown source, you need to complete this document and obtain caregiver statements from the prior 3 shifts, notify the physician and POA/family member. Staff may also include an interview with the resident.
What is an incident report?
(review additional information)
This is separation of a resident from other residents or from his/her room OR confinement to his/her room against the resident's will, or the will of the resident's legal representative. An example would be putting a resident in their room and locking their wheelchair so they cannot come out.
What is involuntary seclusion?
Resident injury that is not the result of a known accident or event. Some examples would be a bruise or skin tear without known contact, hematoma, or a swollen area.
What is injury of unknown source?
Unwanted sexual attention or touching OR sexual touching of the body of a resident who cannot make decisions for themselves.
What is sexual abuse?
After abuse is reported, this process would be used to try to determine what happened. Interviews would be conducted, and written statements would be obtained from staff and the affected resident may be interviewed as well.
What is an investigation?
(review additional information)
If you witness a resident being abused (for example, you see a visitor striking a resident), this is your first obligation, even before reporting the situation.
What is intervene and protect the resident?
The individual must have acted deliberately, not that the individual must have intended to inflict injury or harm.
What is willful?
This separation from other residents may be permitted if used for a limited period of time as a therapeutic intervention to reduce agitation until staff can develop a plan of care to meet the resident's needs.
What is emergency or short term monitored seclusion?
Taking pictures of residents who have private body parts exposed or taking a picture of residents in compromising positions.
What is abuse caused through technology?
Federal regulations require that crimes or suspicion of a crime against any resident be reported to law enforcement officials: no later than 2 hrs. if there is serious bodily injury to the resident and no later than 24 hrs. if there is no serious bodily injury to the resident.
What is the Elder Justice Act?
(review additional information)
Staff would need to provide this to document details about abuse incidents. Staff should avoid giving opinions but rather just provide the facts to "paint the picture". Staff need to be descriptive about what they saw and heard. This could potentially be used later in a court of law.
What is a written statement?
(review additional information)