McCormick Rehabilitation Immediate Jeopardy SC
MC CORMICK, SC - Federal inspectors cited McCormick Post Acute for immediate jeopardy to resident health and safety after a resident with severe cognitive impairment physically attacked two other residents multiple times, with facility staff failing to provide adequate protection or supervision.
Repeated Physical Attacks on Vulnerable Residents
The most serious violations centered on a cognitively impaired resident, identified as R103, who carried out multiple physical assaults on fellow residents over several months. According to inspection records, R103 had a Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) score of 0 out of 15, indicating severe cognitive impairment that significantly affected her ability to understand consequences or control impulses.
On March 9, 2025, R103 attacked another severely cognitively impaired resident (R83) three separate times within a 45-minute period. Licensed Practical Nurse 1 witnessed the incidents and reported that R103 "hit R83 on the arm and maybe on the chest with a closed fist." After the first attack, staff separated the residents, but R103 returned twice more to continue the assault.
"Her behaviors went from 0 to 100 in seconds. There was usually [no] indication when she was about to escalate," the witnessing nurse told inspectors, revealing the unpredictable nature of R103's aggressive episodes.
The attacks escalated again on April 14, 2025, when R103 assaulted a third resident (R6) during outdoor smoking supervision. The incident involved R103 pushing another resident's wheelchair into R6's legs, followed by verbal abuse, spitting, and physical striking. A nursing assistant reported that after staff attempted to intervene, R103 "swung around [the Director of Nursing] and hit [R6] on the leg."
Critical Breakdown in Safety Protocols
The inspection revealed fundamental failures in resident protection protocols. Multiple nursing assistants assigned to resident care during the March incident were unaware that R103 required increased supervision, demonstrating a breakdown in communication between nursing staff. Even more concerning, no skin assessment was completed for R83 immediately following the assault to document potential injuries.
The facility's Director of Nursing admitted he was initially unaware of the severity of the March incidents, stating he thought "R103 hit R83 once and they were separated and there were no further issues." This suggests critical information about the repeated nature of the attacks was not properly communicated up the chain of command.
Staff acknowledged they were "not doing enough to keep [residents] safe" but expressed uncertainty about effective intervention strategies. The witnessing nurse noted that simply moving R103 to another unit would likely result in similar incidents occurring elsewhere.
Medical Implications of Inadequate Protection
Physical assaults on nursing home residents, particularly those with cognitive impairments, pose serious medical risks beyond immediate injuries. Residents with severe cognitive impairment cannot adequately protect themselves or communicate distress effectively, making them extremely vulnerable to repeated victimization.
The lack of immediate skin assessments following physical altercations represents a critical gap in medical care. Prompt evaluation is essential to identify injuries that may not be immediately visible, particularly in elderly residents who may have fragile skin, compromised circulation, or conditions that affect wound healing. Without proper assessment, injuries can worsen and lead to complications such as infections or pressure wounds.
For residents with conditions like diabetes or malnutrition - common in nursing home populations - even minor injuries require careful monitoring as they may heal poorly or develop complications. The psychological trauma from repeated assaults can also manifest as increased agitation, sleep disturbances, or regression in cognitive or physical functioning.
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: September 19, 2026 · Our methodology
McCormick Post Acute in McCormick, SC was cited for immediate jeopardy violations during a health inspection on May 2, 2025.
On March 9, 2025, R103 attacked another severely cognitively impaired resident (R83) three separate times within a 45-minute period.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.