Failure to Prevent Misappropriation of Resident Funds by Staff
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to prevent misappropriation of a resident’s money by a staff member. A resident with major depressive disorder, diabetes, and heart failure had a care plan noting behaviors of making false accusations, possible delusions, and confabulation when she does not recall events or where she places items. A concern form documented that the resident’s daughter reported an activities aide took cash from the resident, stating that the aide was supposed to use the money to purchase a phone for the resident but instead used it for her own daughter’s birthday. The resident and her daughter were described as very upset about the incident. A written statement from the activities aide indicated that the resident had given her $135.00, that she had $140.00 in her possession, and that she believed she and the resident were in agreement about using the money to help with her daughter’s party, denying that she was stealing. The aide stated she would quit after returning the money. In a later interview, the resident recalled the aide taking her money but did not recall receiving it back. The facility’s investigation, including interviews with the resident’s daughter and the nursing home administrator, confirmed that the aide had taken the resident’s money and later returned it, and that the aide then quit her job. This sequence of events constituted misappropriation of resident property in violation of the facility’s abuse policy, which prohibits exploitation and misappropriation of resident property.
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