Failure to Respond to Request for Resident Personal Funds Account Balance
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to respond to a request for the account balance of personal funds for one resident after discharge, resulting in the facility retaining the resident's funds. The resident in question had a Durable Unlimited Power of Attorney (POA) appointing her son to act on her behalf for financial matters. The resident was admitted with multiple diagnoses, including anemia, chronic kidney disease, and gastrostomy status, and was dependent on staff for all activities of daily living. The Minimum Data Set (MDS) indicated the resident rarely had the ability to make herself understood or understand others. The POA requested the account balance while the Business Office Manager (BOM) was away from the facility, but as of the survey date, the BOM had not responded to the request. A review of the resident's Trust Transaction History showed a closing balance of $1,504.04. The facility's policy and procedures require that quarterly statements be provided in writing to the resident or their representative within 30 days after the end of the quarter and upon request. Despite this policy, the BOM confirmed that no response had been given to the POA regarding the resident's personal funds account balance, resulting in the facility retaining the funds after the resident's discharge.