Misappropriation of Resident Property by Agency CNA
Penalty
Summary
A cognitively intact female resident with a diagnosis of anxiety reported missing personal property, specifically a small zippered purse and a second change pouch, each containing approximately ten dollars in quarters. The resident stated she last saw both items after putting away her bingo winnings on a Friday and noticed them missing the following Monday morning. She recalled that the items were kept in her nightstand drawer and described the missing purse in detail. Upon realizing the loss, she notified staff, who searched her room but did not find the missing items. The facility initiated an investigation, which included a review of surveillance camera footage from the weekend. The footage showed an agency CNA entering the resident's room when the resident was not present and exiting a few minutes later with what appeared to be a heavy object in her scrub pocket. The CNA was then observed in the hallway removing a dark-colored pouch from her pocket, unzipping it, and using it to purchase items from a vending machine. Still images from the footage were shown to the resident, who identified the pouch as her missing change purse. Interviews with facility leadership and staff confirmed the sequence of events observed on the camera footage. The resident expressed feeling hurt and unsafe as a result of the incident, emphasizing that the facility was her home and she wanted to feel secure. The facility's policy on abuse, neglect, and exploitation was reviewed, which defines misappropriation of resident property as the deliberate or wrongful use of a resident's belongings or money without consent. The evidence indicated that the agency CNA took the resident's property without permission, constituting misappropriation.