Failure to Thoroughly Investigate Allegation of Misappropriation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to conduct a thorough investigation into an allegation of misappropriation involving one resident. According to the facility's policy, all allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or misappropriation are to be thoroughly investigated, including interviews with the resident involved, their representative, staff members on all shifts who had contact with the resident during the period of the alleged incident, the resident's roommate, and family members. In this case, a family member reported that a certified nurse aide received $100 from the resident via a cash app. The facility's investigation only included a statement from the accused staff member, who admitted to receiving the money as a gift, and did not include statements from the resident or other relevant individuals. Interviews with the Director of Nursing and the Social Services Director confirmed that the investigation was incomplete, as it did not follow the facility's established procedures for interviewing all necessary parties. The lack of a comprehensive investigation into the allegation of misappropriation meant that the facility did not fully document or address the incident as required by its own policy.