Delayed Access to Resident Funds for Responsible Party
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident's responsible party (RP) had immediate access to the resident's funds, as required by facility policy. According to the Resident Funds Management Policy and Procedure, if a resident requests a check from their account, the facility is to process the request within 24 hours. However, record review showed that the resident's Social Security Administration (SSA) direct deposits were made monthly, but the corresponding cash advances to the RP were often delayed by one to two months. The RP confirmed receiving the funds late, with the May funds only received in June, despite checks being scheduled for mailing on the 10th of each month. Interviews with the Business Office Manager (BOM) revealed that the process required resident confirmation before releasing funds to the RP, and delays were attributed to staff being busy. The BOM acknowledged that the resident had no cognitive issues preventing her from authorizing the release of funds and that this resident was the only one with a consistent arrangement for monthly cash advances to her RP. The resident confirmed that her RP had access to her funds, but the facility did not consistently provide timely access as outlined in their policy.