Failure to Timely Report Suspected Abuse and Misappropriation to Authorities
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure timely and proper reporting of suspected abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of resident property as required by policy and regulation. In two cases, allegations of misappropriation involving residents' personal property were not reported to Adult Protective Services (APS), and in one case, the initial report to the state agency was not made within the required two-hour timeframe. The facility's policy mandates immediate reporting of such suspicions to the administrator and appropriate authorities, including APS and the state licensing agency, but documentation and staff interviews revealed these steps were not consistently followed. One resident, with intact cognition and diagnoses including diabetes mellitus and angina pectoris, reported missing money on two separate occasions. The resident stated that the police were notified both times, and facility documentation confirmed that the administrator, family, and physician were also informed. However, there was no evidence that an initial incident report was filed with the state agency within two hours, nor was there documentation that APS had been notified. Staff interviews indicated a lack of awareness regarding the requirement to notify APS in cases of suspected abuse or misappropriation. In another instance, a resident's family reported a missing phone, which was last seen on the bedside table and later believed to have accidentally fallen into a waste basket. The police were involved, and the family, physician, and resident were notified. Despite this, there was no documentation of an initial facility-reported incident for this allegation, nor evidence that APS had been notified. The DON confirmed unawareness of the requirement to report such incidents to APS, contributing to the facility's failure to comply with mandated reporting protocols.