Failure to Thoroughly Investigate Alleged Misappropriation of Resident Funds
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to thoroughly investigate an allegation of misappropriation of a resident’s money. One resident reported that money was missing from her room after her son had provided her with $90. The facility’s incident report documented that staff from various departments and shifts were interviewed and that surveillance cameras were reviewed between the time the money was reportedly provided and the time the loss was reported. The report stated that all staff entering the room were assigned to the resident, their entry times were considered appropriate for their responsibilities, and no questionable behavior or concerns were identified during staff interviews. Further review of surveillance video from the resident’s hallway over a multi-day period showed four CNAs entering the resident’s room when the resident was not present. The CNA supervisor, who initially reviewed the video, stated she had focused only on who went in and out of rooms and did not consider whether the resident was in the room at the time. She did not relay to the social service designee that these CNAs entered the room while the resident was absent. The social service designee, who conducted staff interviews, reported she only asked general questions and did not ask the CNAs why they were in the room when the resident was not there. Typewritten interview forms for three of the CNAs showed only broad questions about inappropriate interactions, resident mood changes, and coworker stress, all answered negatively, and there was no documentation of specific questioning about their presence in the room during the time the money went missing. No written statement was provided for the fourth CNA. This investigation process did not align with the facility’s policy requiring all reports of theft or misappropriation of resident property to be promptly and thoroughly investigated.
We Help Long-Term Care Teams Stay Survey-Ready
We process and analyze inspection reports and plan of correction using AI to extract insights and trends so providers can improve care quality and stay ahead of compliance risks.