Failure to Conduct Required Background Check on Private Caregiver
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow its Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation policy requiring background, reference, and credentials checks for potential employees, contracted temporary staff, students, volunteers, and consultants by not performing a background check on a personal care worker (PCW #1) who was providing care to a resident. The policy, implemented in 01/2026, specified that such screening was to be conducted on all categories listed, but record review and interviews showed that no background check had been completed for PCW #1. PCW #1 reported being a home health aide contracted by the family of Resident #5 to provide care and companionship and had continued in this role after the resident moved into the facility in 09/2025. The DON stated they were unaware that the facility was required to perform a background check on an individual contracted by a family to provide care to a specific resident and doubted that any check had been done, and the corporate nurse confirmed that the facility had not performed a background check on PCW #1 and acknowledged that the screening portion of the policy had not been followed. This deficiency centers on the facility’s inaction in implementing its own abuse-prevention screening requirements for an individual providing direct care and company to a resident under a private arrangement with the family, despite the clear policy language that encompassed contracted staff.
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