Delayed Refund of Resident Account Balances After Death
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to refund the account balances of three residents within 30 days of their deaths, as required by its Resident Trust Policy. The policy states that all resident trust funds must be surrendered to the resident or their authorized representative within three normal banking days upon discharge or within thirty days upon death. However, for all three residents reviewed, the refunds were processed significantly later than the required timeframe. Specifically, one resident with diagnoses including hemiplegia, pressure ulcer, vascular dementia, and depression died, and the refund was processed over a month later. Another resident with kidney failure, sepsis, Parkinson's disease, and hemiplegia also had their refund delayed beyond the 30-day requirement. The third resident, who had dementia, anxiety, and dysphagia, similarly experienced a late refund. The Accounts Receivable staff confirmed that these account balances were refunded late.