1. (a)

   1. (1) The facility must develop and implement written policies and procedures to ensure that incidents, including alleged or suspected abuse or neglect of residents; accidents, including accidents resulting in death; unusual deaths or deaths from violence; unusual occurrences; and exploration of residents or any misappropriation of resident property, are prohibited, reported, investigated, and documented as required by this part.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) A facility is not required under this part to report death by natural causes.
      2. (B) However, nothing in this part negates, waives, or alters the reporting requirements of a facility under other rules or statutes.

   3. (3) Facility policies and procedures regarding reporting, as addressed in this part, must be:

      1. (A) Included in orientation training for all new employees; and
      2. (B) Addressed at least annually during in-service training for all facility staff.

2. (b) Next-business-day reporting of incidents.

   1. (1) The following events shall be reported to the Office of Long-Term Care by facsimile transmission to telephone number 501-682-8551 of the completed Incident & Accident Intake Form (Form DMS-7734) no later than 11:00 a.m. on the next business day following discovery by the facility:

      1. (A) Any alleged, suspected, or witnessed occurrences of abuse or neglect to residents;
      2. (B) Any alleged, suspected, or witnessed occurrence of misappropriation of resident property, or exploitation of a resident;
      3. (C)

3. (i) Any alleged, suspected, or witnessed occurrences of verbal abuse.

   1. (ii) For purposes of this part, "verbal abuse" means the use of oral, written, or gestured language that willfully includes disparaging and derogatory terms to residents, or within their hearing distance, regardless of their age, ability to comprehend, or disability.

      1. (iii) Examples of verbal abuse include, but are not limited to:
4. (a) (a) Threats of harm; and

5. (b) (b) Saying things to frighten a resident, such as telling a resident that he or she will never be able to see his or her family again; and

   1. (D) Any alleged, suspected, or witnessed occurrences of sexual abuse to residents by any individual.

   2. (2) In addition to the requirement of a facsimile report by the next business day on Form DMS-7734, the facility shall complete a Form DMS-762 in accordance with.

      1. (c) Incidents or occurrences that require internal reporting only — Facsimile report or form DMS-762 not required.

   3. (1)

      1. (A) The following incidents or occurrences shall require the facility to prepare an internal report only and does not require a facsimile report or form DMS-762 to be made to the Office of Long-Term Care.
      2. (B) The internal report shall include all content specified in subsection (d) of this section, as applicable.

   4. (2) Facilities must maintain these incident record files in a manner that allows verification of compliance with this provision:

      1. (A)

         1. (i) Incidents where a resident attempts to cause physical injury to another resident without resultant injury.
         2. (ii) The facility shall maintain written reports on these types of incidents to document patterns of behavior for subsequent actions;
      2. (B) All cases of reportable disease, as required by the Department of Health; and

      3. (C) Loss of heating, air conditioning, or fire alarm system of greater than two (2) hours duration.

         1. (d) Internal only reporting procedure.

   5. (1)

      1. (A) Written reports of all incidents and accidents included in subsection (c) of this section shall be completed within five (5) days after discovery.
      2. (B) The written incident and accident reports shall be comprised of all information specified in forms DMS-7734 and DMS-762 as applicable.
   6. (2) All written reports will be reviewed, initialed, and dated by the facility administrator or designee within five (5) days after discovery.
   7. (3) Reports of incidents specified in subsection (c) of this section will be maintained in the facility only and are not required to be submitted to the Office of Long-Term Care.
   8. (4) All written incident and accident reports shall be maintained on file in the facility for a period of three (3) years.
6. (e) Other reporting requirements. The facility’s administrator is also required to make any other reports of incidents, accidents, suspected abuse or neglect, actual or suspected criminal conduct, etc. as required by state and federal laws and regulations.

7. (f) Abuse investigation report.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The facility must ensure that all alleged or suspected incidents involving resident abuse, exploitation, neglect, or misappropriations of resident property are thoroughly investigated.

      2. (B) The facility’s investigation must:

         1. (i) Be in conformance with the process and documentation requirements specified on the form designated by the Office of Long-Term Care, Form DMS-762; and
         2. (ii) Prevent further potential incidents while the investigation is in progress.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) The results of all investigations must be reported to the facility’s administrator, or designated representative, and to other officials in accordance with state law, including the office.
      2. (B) Reports to the office shall be made via facsimile transmission by 11:00 a.m. the next business day following discovery by the facility, on form DMS-7734.
      3. (C) The follow-up investigation report, made on form DMS-762, shall be submitted to the office within five (5) working days of the date of the submission of the DMS-7734 to the office.
      4. (D) If the alleged violation is verified, appropriate corrective action must be taken.
   3. (3) The DMS-762 may be amended and resubmitted at any time circumstances require.

8. (g) Reporting suspected abuse or neglect.

   1. (1) The facility’s written policies and procedures shall include, at a minimum, requirements specified in this section.

   2. (2) The requirement that the facility’s administrator or his or her designated agent immediately reports all cases of suspected abuse or neglect of residents of a long-term care facility as specified below:

      1. (A) Suspected abuse or neglect of an adult (eighteen (18) years of age or older) shall be reported to the local law enforcement agency in which the facility is located, as required by Arkansas Code § 5-28-203(b) [repealed]; and

      2. (B)

         1. (i) Suspected abuse or neglect of a child (under eighteen (18) years of age) shall be reported to the local law enforcement agency and to the central intake unit of the Department of Human Services, as required by Acts 1991, No. 1208 [repealed].
         2. (ii) Central intake may be notified by telephone at 1-800-482-5964.
   3. (3) The requirement that the facility’s administrator or his or her designated agent report suspected abuse or neglect to the Office of Long-Term Care as specified in this part.
   4. (4) The requirement that facility personnel, including but not limited to, licensed nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, social workers, mental health professionals, and other employees in the facility who have reasonable cause to suspect that a resident has been subjected to conditions or circumstances which have or could have resulted in abuse or neglect are required to immediately notify the facility administrator or his or her designated agent.

   5. (5)

      1. (A) The requirement that, upon hiring, each facility employee:

         1. (i) Be given a copy of the abuse or neglect reporting and prevention policies and procedures; and
         2. (ii)
9. (a) (a) Sign a statement that the policies and procedures have been received and read.

10. (b) (b) The statement shall be filed in the employee’s personnel file.

    1. (6) The requirement that all facility personnel receive annual, in-service training in identifying, reporting, and preventing suspected abuse/neglect, and that the facility develops and maintains policies and procedures for the prevention of abuse and neglect, and accidents.

Codification Notes: Code § 5-28-203 was repealed by Acts 2005, No. 1812, § 2. Acts 1991, No. 1208, was codified into the Arkansas Code as § 12-12-501 et seq. That subchapter was repealed by Acts 2009, No. 749.