Failure to Protect Resident from Misappropriation of Funds
Penalty
Summary
A resident reported missing four checks and $2,000 from their bank account. The resident's POA provided images of the cashed checks, which had phone numbers written in the endorsement area. The facility administrator matched one of the phone numbers to an employee who sometimes worked in the facility. Law enforcement was contacted, and the employee was subsequently arrested and terminated. The facility notified all residents and their representatives of the incident and the employee's termination. There was no evidence that the missing money was returned to the resident. The facility's investigation did not identify any shortcomings on their part, and no process improvement plan was implemented following the incident. The facility policy states that residents have the right to be free from misappropriation of property and have access to a secure safe in their rooms. The administrator advised the resident to keep their checkbook in the safe going forward, but no systemic changes or improvements were made in response to the event.