Failure to Provide Timely Access to Resident Trust Funds
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents with trust funds had timely access to their requested funds, as required by facility policy and state guidelines. Multiple residents reported consistent delays in receiving their money, with distributions occurring on a first-come, first-served basis and not all residents receiving their funds when requested. One resident stated that she had not received her money for the current month and only received the previous month's funds a week prior. Another resident indicated that only a third of the residents received their money for a particular month. Review of petty cash withdrawal records confirmed that residents typically received their requested funds two to three days after making the request, rather than having access 24/7 as stated in the facility's policy. Staff interviews revealed that the facility maintained a petty cash fund of approximately $600, which was not sufficient to meet all residents' requests, especially when multiple residents requested the maximum allowable amount. When petty cash ran low, the Business Office Manager had to request additional funds from corporate, a process that took several days. The Administrator acknowledged that the facility did not keep enough cash on hand to fulfill all requests and that money was distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. On nights and weekends, only a small amount of petty cash was available on the nurses' cart. The Regional Accounts Receivable confirmed that the facility did not have enough petty cash to meet all resident requests.