Failure to Implement and Communicate Care Plan Interventions for Suspected Financial Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement and communicate comprehensive care plan interventions for a resident with a suspected allegation of financial abuse. According to the facility's policies and procedures, the care plan should be reviewed and revised upon a resident's status change, including incidents of suspected abuse. The care plan for the resident included interventions such as assuring the resident's safety, providing emotional support, establishing visitation guidelines, and monitoring for signs of distress. However, these interventions were not effectively implemented or communicated to all staff involved in the resident's care. Interviews with facility staff revealed that the social services director (SSD) did not assess or monitor the resident regarding the suspected financial abuse, despite being aware of the situation. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) were not informed of the allegation or instructed to provide additional monitoring during visits from the alleged perpetrator. The visitor log confirmed that the family member accused of financial abuse continued to visit the resident multiple times after the allegation was reported, without increased supervision or monitoring as outlined in the care plan. Further review and interviews with the director of nursing (DON) and the administrator confirmed that required assessments, documentation of change in condition, post-incident monitoring, and social services assessments were not completed. The care plan interventions were not updated or implemented, and there was a lack of communication to staff regarding the necessary protective measures. This failure had the potential to leave the resident unprotected and without appropriate care and services to meet their needs following the suspected abuse.