Failure to Properly Handle Resident Funds and Property
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to properly handle a resident's funds, resulting in a deficiency related to the protection of resident property. A resident with severe cognitive impairment and multiple diagnoses, including dementia and schizophrenia, had items purchased using their trust account. The purchases were made by a former Assistant Administrator, who did not follow established procedures for verifying and distributing the items. Specifically, the purchased items were left in bags at the nurse's station for weeks, and no receipts were provided to CNAs for verification. There were no signatures on the receipts to confirm that the items were delivered to the resident, and staff repeatedly requested the receipts to complete the check-in process. The facility conducted an internal investigation after allegations arose that the former Assistant Administrator may have purchased items for herself using resident funds. The investigation involved reviewing receipts and resident belongings, but the process lacked thorough staff interviews and did not include reporting the allegations to the state regulatory agency. The receipts provided were incomplete, missing identifying information, and lacked signatures from staff or the resident to validate the purchases. Additionally, there were discrepancies between the sizes of clothing purchased and the sizes typically worn by the resident, and some items listed on receipts could not be accounted for in the resident's belongings. Staff interviews confirmed that the resident typically wore XL or 2XL clothing, but several items purchased were in smaller sizes, and some items such as slippers were not observed in the resident's room. The process for purchasing and distributing items for residents who could not communicate their needs was not consistently followed, and inventory procedures were not properly documented. The lack of proper documentation, verification, and accountability in handling the resident's funds and belongings led to the deficiency.