Failure to Timely Report Misappropriation of Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that an allegation of misappropriation of resident property was reported immediately, as required, to Adult Protective Services (APS) and local law enforcement. A resident with multiple diagnoses, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and anxiety disorders, reported giving $100 to a nursing assistant (NA) after learning of the NA's financial struggles. The resident later requested the money be returned, but the NA did not respond, prompting the resident to report the issue to two staff members. The NA admitted to accepting the money after repeated offers from the resident and stated she was unaware it was not allowed. The facility verified the allegation and terminated the NA's employment. Despite the verification of misappropriation, the facility did not report the incident to APS until 17 days after the allegation was made, and there was no report made to local law enforcement. Interviews with the Resident Advocate and Administrator revealed that the incident was communicated internally, but proper external reporting protocols were not followed. Staff training on abuse recognition and reporting was provided biannually, but there was no documentation of training specific to this incident.