A 65-year-old resident in a Virginia nursing home has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 86-year-old roommate.
The police responded to a call that a person was reportedly injured at the facility about 10:42 p.m. When they arrived, the officers found the 86-year-old man suffering from an obvious trauma. He died at the scene.
Although the victim had been stabbed, authorities are still waiting for the state medical examiner’s office to determine the exact cause of death.
A spokesperson for the nursing home indicated that there had been no determination made about what triggered the assault. She stated that there were no previously reported issues, and the incident was still under investigation, with staff members being interviewed to provide any additional information.
The assailant was previously charged in December 2017 for trespassing and carrying a concealed weapon. However, according to court records, the charges were dismissed after the man received mental health treatment.
The nursing home spokesperson issued this statement, “This is a challenging and emotional time for all of us, and we have bereavement representatives in the center working with our staff and patients….We are also in the process of calling family members and assessing our patients and residents.”
Compliance Perspective
Failure to prevent a resident from attacking another resident with a lethal weapon and failure to accurately assess a resident’s risk for aggressive behavior or provide adequate monitoring, may result in citations for immediate jeopardy and provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures for accurately assessing residents before and after admission for the risk of aggressive behavior and for ensuring adequate supervision is provided based on their history and current status.
- Train staff about the risk for aggressive behavior of any resident and to monitor and note changes or patterns of behavior that may indicate increasing aggression.
- Periodically audit the risk assessments of residents with histories of aggressive behaviors to determine if they are being monitored and if changes are being noted on their care plans.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC: WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
