Failure to Provide Required Personal Fund Statements and Obtain Authorization Signatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to properly manage and document a resident's personal funds by not providing the required monthly personal fund account statements and by failing to obtain the necessary authorization signatures. Record review showed that the resident, who had intact cognition and was able to make herself understood, did not receive periodic statements detailing deposits, withdrawals, and current balances. Additionally, the personal funds authorization form was incomplete, lacking both the resident's and the required staff witness signatures. Several personal fund withdrawal receipts were also missing witness signatures, and there was no documentation that the resident had been given her account statements as required by facility policy. During interviews, the resident reported that she had repeatedly requested her account statements and was dissatisfied with the facility's response, leading her to contact law enforcement. The Office Manager confirmed that the resident had the right to receive monthly and quarterly statements, especially given her cognitive status, but was unable to provide documentation that these statements had been provided or that proper authorization procedures had been followed. The facility's policy required that residents be presented with a copy of their ledger, sign for receipt, and have the signed copy placed in their trust folder, but this process was not followed for this resident.