Date of Adoption: November 7, 2003.

     Purpose: The purpose of amending this rule is to comply with the recently passed legislation ESHB 1904 (chapter 230, Laws of 2003), an act relating to the reporting of incidents by mandated reporters. The proposed rule also includes editorial changes reflecting the correct DSHS administration name.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-97-076.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.34.165.

     Other Authority: RCW 74.34.020 and 74.34.035, chapter 230, Laws of 2003.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 03-20-040 on September 24, 2003.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
     Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

November 7, 2003

Brian H. Lindgren, Manager

Rules and Policies Assistance Unit

     (2) The nursing home must develop and implement written policies and procedures that:

     (a) Prohibit abandonment, abuse, and neglect of residents, financial exploitation, and misappropriation of resident property; and

     (b) Require staff to report possible abuse, and other related incidents, as required by chapter 74.34 RCW, and for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities as required by 42 C.F.R. §483.13.

     (3) The nursing home must not allow staff to:

     (a) Engage in verbal, mental, sexual, or physical abuse;

     (b) Use corporal punishment;

     (c) Involuntarily seclude, abandon, neglect, or financially exploit residents; or

     (d) Misappropriate resident property.

     (4) The nursing home must report any information it has about an action taken by a court of law against an employee to the department's complaint resolution unit and the appropriate department of health licensing authority, if that action would disqualify the individual from employment as described in RCW 43.43.842.

     (5) The nursing home must ensure that all allegations involving abandonment, abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or misappropriation of resident property, including injuries of unknown origin, are reported immediately to the department, other applicable officials, and the administrator of the facility. The nursing home must:

     (a) Ensure that the reports are made through established procedures in accordance with state law including chapter 74.34 RCW, and guidelines developed by the department; and

     (b) Not have any policy or procedure that interferes with the requirement of chapter 74.34 RCW that employees and other mandatory reporters file reports directly with the department, and also with law enforcement, if they suspect sexual or physical assault has occurred.

     (6) The nursing home must:

     (a) Have evidence that all alleged violations are thoroughly investigated;

     (b) Prevent further potential abandonment, abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or misappropriation of resident property while the investigation is in progress; and

     (c) Report the results of all investigations to the administrator or his designated representative and to other officials in accordance with state law and established procedures (including the state survey and certification agency) within five working days of the incident, and if the alleged violation is verified appropriate action must be taken.

     (7) When a mandated reporter has:

     (a) Reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult has been abandoned, abused, neglected, financially exploited, or a resident's property has been misappropriated, the individual mandatory reporter must immediately report the incident to the department's aging and ((adult)) disability services administration (((AASA))) ADSA;

     (b) Reason to suspect that a vulnerable adult has been sexually or physically assaulted, the individual mandatory reporter must:

     (i) Immediately report the incident to ((law enforcement and)) the department's aging and ((adult)) disability services administration (((AASA))) (ADSA);

     (ii) Notify local law enforcement in accordance with the provisions of chapter 74.34 RCW.

     (8) Under RCW 74.34.053, it is:

     (a) A gross misdemeanor for a mandated reporter knowingly to fail to report as required under this section; and

     (b) A misdemeanor for a person to intentionally, maliciously, or in bad faith make a false report of alleged abandonment, abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect of a vulnerable adult.

     (9) The nursing home must not employ individuals who are disqualified under the requirements of WAC 388-97-203.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.51.070, 74.42.620. 02-14-063, § 388-97-076, filed 6/27/02, effective 7/28/02; 00-06-028, § 388-97-076, filed 2/24/00, effective 3/26/00.]

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