Delayed Transfer of Discharged Resident's Personal Funds
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a discharged resident's personal funds were transferred to the resident or their representative/estate within the required timeframe. According to the facility's own Resident Trust Procedures, the balance in a resident's personal fund should be returned within one week of discharge. However, review of records showed that a resident who was discharged had a trust account balance of $622.23, which was not transferred until 283 days after discharge. The check to the resident's representative was dated significantly later than the discharge date, indicating a substantial delay in returning the funds. Interviews with the Finance Manager and the Administrator confirmed that the facility's process requires transferring trust balances within a week after discharge, and both acknowledged that the transfer in this case was late. The deficiency was identified through review of the trust account ledger, discharge records, and interviews, all of which confirmed that the resident's funds were not handled in accordance with facility policy or regulatory requirements.