Failure to Safeguard Resident's Personal Belongings
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to safeguard a resident's personal belongings, specifically the resident's shoes. The resident, who had diagnoses including dementia, depression, and schizophrenia, was admitted and later readmitted to the facility. Upon admission, the resident's inventory of personal effects included one pair of shoes, but upon readmission, the inventory did not list any shoes. Staff interviews confirmed that the resident had shoes earlier in the month, but subsequent searches in the resident's room were unsuccessful in locating them. The resident expressed being upset about the loss of his shoes and not having any to wear. The facility's Director of Nursing (DON) acknowledged the missing shoes and discussed the possibility that they may have been left at the hospital, but no one had been informed. The facility's policy required that personal belongings be inventoried and documented upon admission and updated as necessary. Despite this policy, the resident's shoes were not accounted for, and the loss was not promptly addressed, resulting in the resident's distress.