Failure to Report Misappropriation of Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an incident of misappropriation of property involving a resident who was cognitively intact and had multiple diagnoses, including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, COPD, anxiety, and depression. The resident had a care plan indicating manipulative or fabricated behaviors. A previous social services staff member took money from this resident on two occasions, with the staff member ultimately admitting to the misappropriation. The incident was discovered after the resident contacted the ombudsman, stating that the staff member had asked to borrow money and was given the resident's debit card. Although the facility's policy required all allegations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation to be reported to the appropriate state agency, the incident involving this resident was not reported to the state health department. The regional director of operations believed the ombudsman would report the incident to Adult Protective Services and did not submit a report to the state agency. The administrator at the time was not present during the incident and was unaware of how it was handled, confirming that only one resident was listed on the incident report despite two being affected.