Failure to Report Suspected Misappropriation of Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of misappropriation of resident property to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) as required by its own policy and state regulations. A resident, who was cognitively intact and responsible for his own healthcare decisions, reported his ATM card missing to the Social Services Director (SSD) after discovering unauthorized transactions while he was at a dialysis center. The SSD assisted the resident by contacting the bank, disputing charges, and filing a police report, but did not notify CDPH of the suspected misappropriation. Interviews with both the SSD and the Administrator confirmed that the incident was not reported to CDPH because the identity of the person who took the card was unknown. The facility's policy required reporting all allegations of abuse and misappropriation, regardless of whether the perpetrator was identified. The omission resulted in the potential for financial abuse to go unrecognized and unresolved within the facility.