Failure to Protect Resident from Misappropriation of Property
Penalty
Summary
A resident who was cognitively intact and had been admitted to the facility entrusted a hospitality aide with his debit card to purchase cigarettes, a practice that had occurred regularly for several months. On one occasion, the aide used the resident's debit card without authorization to make multiple purchases at various stores and to withdraw cash from an ATM, resulting in approximately $628.75 in unauthorized transactions. The resident was unaware of these additional charges and only discovered the missing funds when attempting to make a payment on his account, at which point the card was declined. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the hospitality aide admitted to using the resident's debit card for personal purchases and cash withdrawal without the resident's permission. The incident was reported to law enforcement, and the aide was subsequently terminated. The resident expressed sadness and disappointment, stating that he had trusted the aide due to her previous kindness and care. Interviews with facility staff, including the former business office manager and former administrator, confirmed that the resident did not authorize the additional transactions and that there was no plan in place to reimburse the resident for the stolen funds at the time of their departure from the facility. The resident had not been reimbursed for the stolen money and did not understand the delay in repayment. The facility failed to protect the resident from misappropriation of property, as required by regulation.