Failure to Notify and Timely Disperse Resident Funds
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to notify a resident when their personal funds account approached the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) resource limit and did not timely disperse another resident's funds after their death. For one resident, who was cognitively intact and the primary financial contact, record review showed that their account balance exceeded the notification threshold, but there was no documented evidence that a spend down notification was provided. The resident was unaware of the account or its balance, and the Business Office Manager confirmed that no notification had been sent, citing workload issues as the reason. In a separate case, another resident's account was not closed and funds were not dispersed in a timely manner following their death. Documentation showed that a check for the remaining account balance was issued to the funeral home more than three months after the resident's passing. Both deficiencies were confirmed through interviews and review of facility policy, which required timely notification and disbursement of resident funds.