Delayed Reporting of Suspected Misappropriation of Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of misappropriation of resident property to the state agency within the required timeframe for one resident. According to the facility's abuse policy, all alleged incidents involving misappropriation must be reported to the NHA or designee immediately, and to the state agency within eight hours, or within two hours if serious bodily harm is involved. In this case, a nurse identified that six purple tablets were missing from a resident's medication count and immediately notified the nursing supervisor, who then informed the Director of Nursing (DON). Despite recognizing the incident as an allegation of misappropriation, the DON delayed reporting the incident to the state agency, citing the ongoing investigation as the reason for the delay. The incident, which occurred on July 19, was not reported to the state agency until August 7, nineteen days after the event. Interviews with staff confirmed the delay in reporting, and the deficiency was acknowledged by facility leadership during the exit conference.