Unauthorized Withdrawal of Resident Funds by Staff
Penalty
Summary
A certified nursing assistant (CNA) took a resident's debit card without consent and used it to withdraw $305.00 from the resident's bank account. The incident occurred in the early morning hours, and the resident was alerted to the unauthorized withdrawal by a notification from his bank. The resident, who had diagnoses including heart failure, COPD, and chronic pain, was assessed as having no cognitive impairment at the time of the incident. During interviews, the resident stated that he did not give the CNA his debit card or ask her to withdraw money, nor did he receive any of the withdrawn funds. Facility policy required that any staff member taking a resident's debit card for transactions must have approval from the Administrator or DON, especially after hours, and that a Money Transaction Shopping Form must be completed. Staff interviews confirmed that the proper procedures were not followed, as there was no documentation or approval for the transaction, and the whereabouts of the withdrawn cash remained unknown. Video evidence from the local ATM corroborated that the CNA made the withdrawal without proper authorization.