Failure to Investigate and Report Alleged Financial Exploitation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow its own policies regarding the investigation and reporting of an allegation of financial exploitation involving a resident. The clinical record and staff interviews revealed that there was suspicion of financial exploitation by a frequent visitor, which was reported to another state agency. However, there was no documentation in the State Agency database that the facility itself submitted a self-report regarding the allegation. When requested, the Executive Director confirmed that there were no incident reports or investigations found related to the allegation. Multiple staff members, including an LPN, CNA, and social services staff, were either unaware of the exploitation issue or only learned of it due to non-payment concerns. The Assistant Director of Nursing recalled concerns about exploitation but noted a lack of specific details and was unsure if an investigation was conducted, especially since the alleged perpetrator was not affiliated with the facility. Facility policy requires that all suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation be reported immediately and thoroughly investigated. Despite this, the facility did not document an investigation or submit a required report to the State Agency. The only action taken was restricting the visitor from entering the facility, as indicated by a posted notice at the reception desk. The lack of a documented investigation and failure to report the allegation as required by policy and regulation constituted the deficiency.