Failure to Provide Timely Notices for Resident Fund Balances Exceeding SSI Limit
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide routine and timely notices to residents when their personal fund balances exceeded the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) resource limit. Record review and interviews revealed that four residents had authorized the facility to manage their funds, but their account balances surpassed the allowable SSI limit. Despite receiving spend-down notices, the residents' funds continued to exceed the limit, and in one case, the notice was given to the resident instead of the legal guardian. Residents reported receiving notifications but did not take action to reduce their balances, and one resident was unsure of what was needed to spend down the funds. The Administrator confirmed that the affected residents' funds were over the SSI resource limit and attributed the issue to the county office not deducting the required liability from the residents' accounts. As a result, the facility did not ensure that residents or their representatives were properly notified or assisted in maintaining their funds below the SSI threshold, as required.