Failure to Conduct Thorough Investigation of Missing Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to conduct a thorough investigation into an allegation of missing money for one resident with moderately impaired cognition. According to the investigation report, a collateral contact reported that $1,000 was missing from the resident's wallet, which had not been checked for three months. Immediate actions taken included initiating an investigation, contacting the police, searching the resident's room, reviewing the belongings list, and reporting the incident to the state agency. However, the investigation report did not include interviews with other residents or staff members who may have had information about the incident. Multiple staff members, including certified nursing assistants and registered nurses who were assigned to the resident, confirmed in interviews that they were not interviewed regarding the missing money. The Assistant Director of Nursing acknowledged that, although the facility's policy and the Purple Book guidelines require thorough investigations—including interviews with staff and residents—these steps were not documented or completed. The Director of Nursing also confirmed that the investigation lacked evidence of such interviews, indicating the investigation was not thorough as required by facility policy and regulatory guidelines.