Failure to Prevent Misappropriation of Resident Property
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident's right to be free from misappropriation of property was not maintained. The resident, who had diagnoses including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atrial fibrillation, and general anxiety disorder, and was assessed as having moderately impaired cognition, reported their credit card and driver's license missing after finding their wallet on the floor of their room. The resident had last seen the card after returning from dinner with their daughter and noticed the items missing two days later. The resident's daughter reported the theft to the police and the bank, and fraudulent charges totaling $1,041.41 were made at apparel stores. The resident stated they had a drawer with a lock in their room but never received a key, and would have used it for safekeeping if available. The resident's purse was kept attached to their walker next to their bed. The facility's policy defined misappropriation as theft or unauthorized use of a resident's property, including money and other possessions. There was no documentation in the resident's care plan addressing the safekeeping of personal items. The incident was reported by the former DON, who, along with Human Resources, reviewed video surveillance at the police station and identified a CNA as being involved in the fraudulent use of the credit card. The CNA denied knowingly using a resident's card, stating a coworker had given them the card to make a purchase, and claimed not to have known it belonged to a resident. The police investigation was ongoing at the time of the report. Interviews revealed gaps in facility communication and documentation. The interim DON acknowledged that theft of a credit card constituted misappropriation and abuse. The Administrator was unaware of the incident, stating they had not been informed by the former DON and were unable to locate relevant documentation. The current social worker was not employed at the time of the incident and had no information. The facility was unable to confirm whether the resident's right to be free from misappropriation had been maintained, and the Department of Health had more information than the facility at the time of the survey.