Failure to Investigate Allegations of Misappropriation of Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to thoroughly investigate allegations of misappropriation of resident property for two residents. In the first case, a resident with intact cognition reported missing $40 and a silver dollar coin at the time of discharge. The incident was documented by a registered nurse and reported to the Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) and on-call nurse. While the facility interviewed several residents and audited rooms for lockable drawers, there was no evidence that staff interviews were conducted as part of the investigation. The NHA confirmed that only residents were interviewed and staff were not questioned regarding the missing items. In the second case, another resident with intact cognition reported $280 missing from their room. The incident documentation did not indicate that an investigation was completed. Interviews with staff revealed that the resident had reported the missing money to a certified nursing assistant, who in turn reported it to the NHA and social worker. However, the NHA stated they had little knowledge of the allegation and confirmed that a thorough investigation, including interviews with other residents or staff, was not conducted. The facility's policy requires immediate and comprehensive investigation of such allegations, including interviews and documentation, which was not followed in these cases.