Failure to Inform and Distribute Resident Personal Funds
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to properly inform residents of their monthly personal funds amounts and did not distribute personal fund monies as required. Three residents were affected by this deficiency. One resident, who had moderately impaired cognition, was unaware of why she was not receiving her monthly trust fund disbursement and had not authorized her nephew to manage her finances. The facility did not notify her that her monthly trust fund money was being given to her nephew, and there was confusion regarding who was the authorized representative payee for her Social Security and pension funds. Another resident, with severely impaired cognition, reported not receiving her trust fund money and was unaware of the amount she should receive. The facility staff stated that this resident's family was the representative payee, but the resident was not informed about this arrangement. A third resident, also with moderately impaired cognition, stated he had not received any trust fund money and expressed a desire to receive it. There was further confusion regarding the power of attorney and who was authorized to receive and manage his personal funds. Facility staff interviews and record reviews revealed inconsistent practices in the management and distribution of residents' personal funds. Staff were unclear about the proper procedures for handling Social Security and pension disbursements, and residents were not consistently informed about their personal fund accounts or monthly disbursements. The facility's own policy required uniform guidelines for the protection of personal funds, but these were not followed, resulting in residents not receiving or being informed about their entitled funds.