Misappropriation of Resident Medications by LPN
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect residents from misappropriation of property when an LPN removed multiple resident medications from the facility without consent. Facility policy on identifying exploitation, theft, and misappropriation of resident property, dated 9/1/25, defines misappropriation as the deliberate misplacement, exploitation, or wrongful, temporary, or permanent use of a resident's belongings or money without the resident's consent, and specifically lists drug diversion as an example. Despite this policy, an anonymous male caller notified the center supervisor that he had found a purse on the side of the road containing multiple medication cards for several residents of the facility. When the DON and Administrator went to the police station, they were shown a pink bag containing multiple medications, a Tuberculin employment skin testing record, and an orientation sheet, both bearing the name of LPN Employee E1. The bag contained eleven residents' medications in individual dispense bags, with no controlled substances identified. The medication dates and assignment areas matched LPN E1's work assignments on the relevant days and shifts, and the MARs for all residents on those assignments showed that all medications were signed out by this LPN. The facility’s investigation substantiated misappropriation of property for 11 of 49 residents (R1, R2, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, R17, R18, R19, and R20). During an interview, the Nursing Home Administrator and Interim DON confirmed that the facility failed to ensure residents were free from misappropriation of property.
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.