Failure to Protect Residents from Misappropriation of Money
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect residents from the misappropriation of their money, as evidenced by multiple incidents involving four residents. One resident reported waking up to find a staff member going through her nightstand, after which she discovered $210 missing from her drawer. The resident was alert and oriented, and her account of the incident remained consistent when discussed with staff and police. The staff member identified as being assigned to her care that night matched the resident's description and was seen entering the room on video footage. Another resident's daughter reported that money kept in envelopes for personal use was missing from the resident's purse on two separate occasions. The daughter had placed the money in the resident's room, and the loss was only discovered when the resident attempted to use the funds. The incidents were reported to the Social Service Director after the second occurrence. In a separate case, a resident reported $35 missing from her bedside dresser, which had been left there by her Power of Attorney for snacks and beverages. The loss was discovered during interviews related to another theft investigation, and the POA confirmed the funds had been provided. A fourth resident reported $40 missing from a pouch he kept with him at all times, only noticing the loss when he attempted to use the money at a vending machine. Staff confirmed the resident had money in his pouch the previous day, but a search of his room did not recover the missing funds. All four residents involved were alert and oriented at the time of the incidents, and the facility's policy prohibits misappropriation of resident property.