Failure to Protect Resident from Financial Exploitation by Staff
Penalty
Summary
A resident with severe cognitive impairment and multiple medical conditions, including cerebral infarction, abnormal gait, and sepsis, was admitted to the facility. The resident's son reported that his father's debit card was missing and that an attempt had been made to use the card, which was declined. The son had brought the resident's wallet to the facility, and the notification of the attempted use was received shortly after. An internal investigation and collaboration with the city police department confirmed that a newly assigned Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), who was still in orientation and on her first day on the floor, took the resident's debit card and attempted to use it at a gas station. Video footage from the gas station corroborated the CNA's involvement, and the CNA admitted to taking the card but stated that none of the transactions were successful. The facility's records and interviews revealed that the CNA initially denied the theft when questioned by the administrator but later admitted to the attempted use of the card after being informed of the video evidence. The CNA refused to answer further questions and ended the interview abruptly. The facility's abuse and neglect policy defines financial abuse as the misappropriation or exploitation of a resident's money or property, which was substantiated in this incident. The event demonstrated a failure to protect the resident from the wrongful use of personal belongings and money.