ABUSE & NEGLECT

The willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish.

What is Abuse?

Physical Abuse: includes hitting, slapping, pinching, and kicking. Physical abuse also included controlling behavior thru corporal punishment and unauthorized restraint.

Physical Abuse

Signs of Physical Abuse Marks or welts

Reddened or bruised areas

Cuts, scratches, punctures, or teeth marks

Catastrophic Reactions (fearfulness, agitation, or withdrawn behavior)

Sexual Abuse: includes but is not limited to sexual coercion or sexual assault.

Sexual Abuse

Signs of Sexual Abuse

Injury to the genitals, anus, breasts, mouth or bleeding from the vagina.

Guarding of body parts during routine care and/or expressed pain during care.

Catastrophic reaction (fearfulness, agitation, or withdrawn behavior)

Mental Abuse

Mental Abuse: includes but is not limited to humiliation, harassment, and threats of punishment or deprivation.

Signs of Mental or Emotional Abuse

Crying without explanation

Withdrawing from a favorite activity

Depression

Resident stops speaking altogether

Neglect

Neglect: failure to provide goods and services necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish, or mental illness.

Signs of NeglectDisheveled appearance

Poor Hygiene

Poor skin integrity

Cracked or parched lips

Dried or caked feces

Verbal Abuse: is considered to be the use of oral, written or gestured language that willfully includes disparaging and derogatory terms to residents or their families or within their hearing distance regardless of their age, ability to comprehend, or disability.

Involuntary Seclusion: the separation of a resident from others against his/her will, or the will of the resident’s legal representative.

Emergency or short term separation from other residents is not considered involuntary seclusion and may be permitted if used for a limited period of time as a therapeutic intervention to reduce the potential of self injury or harm to others.

Documentation of the event and rational for separation must be made in the medical record of the resident.

Misappropriation of Resident Property: considered to be the deliberate misplacement, exploitation, or wrongful temporary use of resident's belongings or money without the residents consent.

Other Forms of Abuse

What is a Catastrophic Reaction?

It is an extraordinary reaction of residents to ordinary stimuli, such as the attempt to provide care. Staff is advised to report such concerns when residents demonstrate dramatic changes in their emotional state or in alterations in their activities of daily living.

Reporting Abuse All staff members are to report any form of abuse immediately when witnessed, verbalized, or alleged to their supervisor.

Supervisors are to report the allegation to the Charge Nurse, Director of Nursing (Angie Albertson, RN), and Administrator (Maureen Hawkins).

The resident will be assessed for injury, and prompt medical and psychosocial attention provided as need.

The Charge Nurse is to remove the suspected offender from the facility pending investigation to keep all other residents safe from harm.

ADVOCATES

Proactive Care Giver

The Long Term Care Ombudsman program

Adult Protection Services

InvestigationThe responsible party of the resident will be informed when there is a suspected or actual case of abuse, neglect, involuntary seclusion or misappropriation of property by the Charge Nurse, DON, Social Worker, or Administrator.

The Department of Consumer & Industry Services as well as other state, local or federal agencies will be contacted as needed when a report is filed for suspected or actual abuse.

Any employee suspected of abuse shall be put off work or reassigned until an investigative out come is concluded.

Legal guardians, friends or other individuals suspected of abuse will be barred from the facility pending the outcome of the investigation.

Any resident suspected of abusing another resident will be relocated, as appropriate, to a safe area away from the suspected abuser.

Criminal Penalties

Any Carriage House employee who is discharged from the facility as a result of being found guilty of abuse, neglect, involuntary seclusion or misappropriation of property shall be reported to the appropriate local, state and federal agencies, as well as the Department of Consumer & Industry Services and to the appropriate professional organization (i.e. Nurses aid registries)

It is your duty to protect the residents of the Carriage House!