Failure to Account for and Protect Resident's Personal Belongings at Discharge
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect and account for the personal belongings of a resident who was admitted with multiple diagnoses, including diabetes, hypertension, and end-stage kidney disease on dialysis. Upon discharge, the resident and their responsible party reported missing personal items, which had been previously reported to the Social Services Director during the resident's stay. There was no inventory of the resident's personal items provided to the resident or family at discharge, and the facility's Theft and Loss Log did not contain any record of the missing items. The Medical Records Director was able to provide an inventory list from admission, but not from discharge, and an additional inventory form was found to be incomplete, lacking a date and signature. Interviews with facility staff, including the current Social Services Director and the Director of Nursing, confirmed that there was no documented inventory of the resident's belongings at discharge, and no information about the inventory was included in the discharge summary. Facility policy required that all personal belongings be accounted for and documented upon discharge, with the resident or representative signing the inventory form. The failure to follow these procedures resulted in the resident's personal items not being properly tracked or returned, compromising the resident's right to retain their possessions.