Failure to Safeguard and Account for Resident Personal Funds
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to properly manage, safeguard, and account for personal funds entrusted to staff for two residents. In the first case, a resident with severe cognitive impairment and a diagnosis of non-Alzheimer's dementia was admitted to the facility, and a family friend reported that a $2,500 check intended for the resident was cashed by a staff member and not properly deposited into a resident trust account. The facility lacked documentation of a request to manage the resident's funds and did not provide required quarterly account statements. The staff member responsible for resident accounts took the resident's money home during a leave of absence, only returning it after being questioned by the administrator. The staff member reported not receiving training on handling resident trust accounts and acted independently without proper oversight or documentation. In the second case, another resident, who had intact cognition, did not have a resident trust account during their stay. After the resident's death, the administrator found the resident's checkbook in the office of the same staff member. There was no written request for the facility to manage the resident's funds, and no documentation of quarterly statements being provided. Interviews revealed that the staff member had possession of the resident's debit card, which was used to assist the resident with financial transactions, but this was not formally documented or managed through the facility's trust account system. The administrator and DON were unaware that the staff member held the resident's debit card and did not report the finding or conduct an investigation after the resident's death. Facility policy required that all resident funds entrusted to the facility be deposited and withdrawn through a designated trust account, with individual records maintained and receipts provided. However, these procedures were not followed for the two residents in question. The staff member responsible for managing resident funds did not receive adequate training and acted outside of established protocols, resulting in a failure to safeguard and account for resident funds as required.