Failure to Report Allegation of Misappropriation of Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of misappropriation of property involving one resident, as required by policy and regulation. The incident began when the resident's daughter reported to staff that someone at the facility had been taking money from the resident, citing unauthorized charges on the resident's accounts, including a large cell phone bill, purchases at local stores, and the depletion of the resident's funds. The daughter expressed these concerns during a visit to the facility, during which she was visibly upset and confrontational with staff. A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) was informed by the daughter of the alleged theft and subsequently notified the Administrator. The Administrator, who also served as the facility's Abuse Coordinator, instructed the LPN to call the police due to the daughter's behavior but did not recognize or act upon the allegation of misappropriation as a reportable event. The Administrator later stated that the history of disputes between the resident, her daughter, and an online acquaintance may have influenced the perception of the allegation, but acknowledged that the report should have been made to the State Agency as per facility policy. The facility's policy clearly requires that all allegations of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property be reported immediately to the Administrator and to the State Agency within specified timeframes. In this case, the allegation was not reported as required, and no investigation was initiated at the time of the complaint. The resident involved was noted to have intact cognition and was her own decision maker, with a history of not wanting family involvement in her care or finances.