Failure to Safeguard Resident's Personal Belongings Resulting in Unauthorized Transactions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a system was in place to safeguard personal belongings, specifically a bank card and ID card, for one resident. Upon admission, staff conducted an inventory of the resident's personal belongings, but the inventory list did not specify the presence of bank cards or an ID card, despite staff being aware that the resident had these items. The resident, who was determined to have the capacity to make decisions, chose not to store her valuables in the facility safe and signed a waiver. However, the waiver did not specify which valuables she retained, and staff did not inspect or document the contents of her wallet. During her stay, the resident kept her wallet in her purse at her bedside. Unauthorized transactions were made on the resident's bank cards while she was in the facility, and the cards, along with her ID, went missing. The facility did not have a specific monitoring system for residents who chose to keep their valuables, and the inventory process was not sufficiently detailed to account for all items. Facility policy required itemization and safeguarding of valuables, but these procedures were not fully implemented, resulting in the loss and unauthorized use of the resident's personal property.