The facility, according to regulation, is required to have policies and procedures that prohibit and prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of residents and misappropriation of resident property. Guidance states the facility policies and procedures must include the following seven components: screening, training, prevention, identification, investigation, protection, and reporting/response.
The facility leadership should review the policy related to verbal abuse and training that has been provided during orientation, annually, and as needed, to ensure all components of abuse prevention are addressed. Additionally, it is important that facility leadership monitor the culture of interaction between staff and residents to prevent further occurrences. An easy way to monitor staff and resident interactions is to conduct daily purposeful rounding by facility leadership. The leaders should have a clear understanding of expected interactions from staff to residents, including respectful language and appropriate tone, dependent on resident need. A consistent review of the findings should be completed and follow up action defined by the leadership team, and implemented in a timely manner.