Failure to Protect Resident from Misappropriation of Property
Penalty
Summary
A resident with a history of heart failure, heart valve replacement, hypertension, neoplasm of the breast, and hearing loss, who was cognitively intact, experienced misappropriation of property while residing in the facility. The resident's wallet was stolen after she had used her credit card to make an online purchase and placed the wallet back in her purse while in her room with only one employee present. Later, the wallet was found outside the facility by a postman, and it was discovered that the credit card was missing and had been used for unauthorized purchases. The resident had not left the facility during this time. The incident was reported to the police, who initiated an investigation and reviewed video footage. The resident identified that a female staff member had assisted her on the day of the incident, but could not provide further identifying details. The administrator confirmed that the staff member assigned to the resident was a Certified Nursing Assistant from an agency, but could not definitively identify the individual responsible. The facility's policy defines misappropriation as the wrongful use of a resident's belongings without consent and requires immediate reporting of such incidents.