Misappropriation of Resident Funds by QMA Using Stolen Checks
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to protect a resident from misappropriation of personal funds when a QMA took multiple checks from the resident’s checkbook and used them without consent. The resident was first alerted to suspicious activity on his bank account when contacted by his bank, and he then notified facility staff. Review of the resident’s checkbook revealed that several checks were missing and unaccounted for, including one that had already been successfully cashed for $700.00. The facility’s own investigation confirmed that the QMA had stolen multiple checks from the resident and used at least one of them to withdraw money from the resident’s account. Further review showed that the QMA attempted to cash another check from the resident’s account for a larger amount of $1,200.00. During this attempt, when the bank requested identification, the QMA fled the bank, leaving behind her driver’s license. Bank staff then contacted the resident, and the facility confirmed that the information on the driver’s license matched the QMA. The incident constituted misappropriation of resident property as defined in the facility’s Abuse Prevention Program policy, which prohibits the deliberate misplacement, exploitation, or wrongful use of a resident’s belongings or money without the cognitively intact resident’s consent.
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