Failure to Prevent Misappropriation of Resident Funds by Housekeeping Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect a resident from misappropriation and exploitation of property by allowing a housekeeping staff member to obtain money from the resident for the staff member’s own personal use. The resident was an elderly male with vascular dementia, severe cognitive impairment as evidenced by a BIMS score of 4, and care plan documentation of impaired cognitive function and thought processes. He required supervision or touching assistance with eating and substantial/maximal assistance with toileting and bathing. Despite these cognitive and functional limitations, the resident reported that he had given $40.00 from his safe to a housekeeping employee, who only returned $10.00. The resident stated that no staff had stolen from him and that he felt safe, but he acknowledged that he had given the housekeeping staff member money and had not been fully repaid until later. The administrator later confirmed that the resident had informed him that he lent $40.00 to the housekeeping staff member, who had only repaid $10.00 at that time, and that the staff member admitted to receiving the money. The facility’s own Abuse Prevention Program policy stated that residents have the right to be free from misappropriation of resident property and exploitation, yet the incident occurred when the housekeeping staff member accepted and used the resident’s money for personal expenses.
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