Failure to Timely Disperse Resident Funds After Death
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a deceased resident's funds were dispersed to the resident's representative within the required timeframe. Review of the closed medical record showed the resident had been admitted and subsequently passed away. Interviews with the Business Office Manager and Corporate Accounts Receivable revealed that although a check was eventually issued for the resident's funds, both staff members were unaware of the specific timeframe for dispersing funds after a resident's death. The facility's policy requires that all funds be refunded to a resident's representative within thirty days of discharge, but there was no evidence that this was done in a timely manner for this resident. The deficiency was identified during a complaint investigation and affected one resident out of those reviewed for dispersed funds.