Failure to Promptly Investigate Alleged Misappropriation of Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to promptly initiate an investigation into an alleged misappropriation of money for one resident. The resident's daughter reported missing envelopes containing cash on two separate occasions to the Social Service Director, who notified the administrator but did not immediately begin an investigation. Documentation shows that the missing money was first reported as two envelopes totaling $46, and later as four envelopes totaling $86, all of which were kept in the resident's room or personal belongings. Despite these reports, a full investigation was not initiated until several days later, after the issue was brought up during a leadership meeting. Interviews and record reviews revealed that the Director of Nursing was not informed of the missing money until the leadership meeting, and acknowledged that the incident should have been reported and investigated immediately according to facility policy. The facility's policy requires immediate investigation when there is suspicion or reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, but this protocol was not followed in this case, resulting in a delay in addressing the alleged misappropriation.