Failure to Protect Resident's Personal Property from Theft
Penalty
Summary
A resident with a history of stroke and documented as cognitively intact reported that their cell phone went missing after being placed on their bedside table following a call to their spouse. The resident stated that no one entered the room except staff and, occasionally, their roommate's visitors. Staff interviews confirmed that the resident had possession of the phone the evening before it was reported missing, and the phone was not found during a facility-wide search. The resident's spouse was able to use a phone locator to determine that the phone was located several blocks away from the facility the following day. The incident was reported to the police, and the resident's spouse subsequently requested reimbursement for the lost phone and the purchase of a new one. The report documents that the facility failed to protect the resident from the wrongful use or theft of their personal belongings, specifically the cell phone, as required. This deficiency was identified through interviews, record reviews, and the facility's own investigation into the missing property.