Agency CNA Arrested and Charged with
Attacking Resident in
Pennsylvania Nursing Home
A Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) was recently arrested and charged with allegedly abusing, assaulting, and harassing a resident in a Pennsylvania nursing home. The nursing home was quick to indicate that the CNA was not one of their staff members but was provided by an outside staffing agency, and that she has been terminated.
The police were called after another aide reported hearing a resident yelling very loudly. When the second aide entered the residentās room, the accused CNA was observed grabbing and twisting sensitive parts of the residentās body. Shortly after that, the aide told police that he saw the accused CNA go back into the residentās room and heard a scream. When he entered the residentās room, he found the resident bleeding from her nose, and she told him that the accused CNA had hit her. The resident was taken to the hospital and treated for bruising and swelling.
The police arrested the CNA and charged her. She was later released on a $10,000 unsecured bail and is scheduled for a court hearing on Dec. 31.
Family members of other residents told reporters that they were surprised that such an incident would occur at the facility because they felt the staff members were wonderful and the facility was nice and clean.
Compliance Perspective
Failure to ensure that CNAās and others provided by staffing agencies are trained regarding the rights of residents to be free from abuse and neglect may be considered provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding the use of staffing agencies and the confirmation by those agencies that any staff supplied have been trained regarding residentsā rights.
- Train staff to immediately report any observed incident where a resident is abused, neglected, or harassed by a staff member to their supervisor or through the Hotline.
- Periodically audit to determine if staff provided by agency staffing companies have received training regarding residentsā rights to be free from abuse and neglect.
