Failure to Timely Report Allegation of Financial Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure timely reporting of an allegation of financial abuse involving a resident. The resident, who was mildly cognitively impaired, reported to the Administrator that a significant amount of money was missing from his room. Despite the resident informing the Administrator of the missing money, the facility did not report the incident to the Department as required. The Administrator stated that they were unaware of the need to report the incident since no specific individual was accused, and there was no evidence provided that the incident was reported until the surveyor began investigating. The delay in reporting resulted in the incident only being reported to the Department 14 days after the resident initially informed the Administrator. Facility policy required notification of the state licensing and certification agency within 24 hours of such incidents and a written report of findings within 5 working days. The Director of Nursing confirmed that the incident was not reported in a timely manner, and the facility's own records indicated the reporting requirements were not met.