Finding Description
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on clinical record review, facility policy review, and staff interviews the facility failed to ensure that residents are free from financial exploitation for 1 of 9 residents (Resident #3) reviewed. The facility reported a census of 62 residents.Findings include: Review of Resident #3 Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment, dated 8/11/25 revealed a diagnoses list that included adult failure to thrive, type 2 diabetes with unspecified complications, alcoholic cirrhosis of liver without ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen), anxiety, and depression. The Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) score of 10 out of 15 points indicated a moderate cognitive impairment. The MDS indicated Resident #3 always able to make herself understood and always understood others. The MDS identified the resident totally dependent on staff for substantial assistance to reposition in bed, transfer to and from bed or chair, and unable to stand or ambulate. Review of a Facility Self-Reported Incident, dated 12/7/25, revealed When having a discussion with Resident [name redacted, Resident #3], bims of 13. It was brought to the Administrators attention that [name redacted, Resident #3] let CNA [name redacted, Staff H, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)] her food stamp card to spend on herself.Review of Resident #3 Care Plan revealed a problem labeled I have actual and/or the potential for inability to cope with my lifestyle changes, limitations in my functional abilities and my husband no longer being able to act as my caregiver due to his own health complications, initiated 8/29/25. The plan directed staff to:a. Assist the resident to identify, access and use support systems of family, initiated 8/29/25.b. Encourage and allow me time to express my feelings re: difficulty coping with lifestyle changes. Allow me time to grieve, initiated 8/29/25.c. Encourage the resident to express feelings of anger, frustration and/or concerns, as appropriate. She likes 1:1 conversation, initiated 8/29/25.d. The resident needs assistance with problem solving, initiated 8/29/25.The Care Plan included a new problem labeled Involved in an allegation of misappropriation of funds by staff member, initiated 12/9/25, which directed staff to: a. Psychosocial wellbeing check in 2x a week for 2 weeks, then as needed, initiated 12/10/25.b. Resident education completed that only administrative staff will use personal money cards for personal items. Resident understood and agreed with education, initiated 12/9/25.During an interview 1/12/26 at 12:14 p.m., Resident #3 stated she had an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) Food Stamp card for several years. She stated she received $171 monthly in benefits. Resident #2 stated she didn't always like the food served at the facility and wanted some snacks, so she asked Staff H, CNA to use her EBT Food Stamp card to purchase some snacks for her. She told Staff H that she could buy some things for herself with the card as well. Resident #3 stated she did not give Staff H an amount that she could spend and didn't know what she'd purchased for herself. Resident #3 stated she recalled the total purchased was for a little over $100, and Staff H returned the EBT Food Stamp card. Resident #3 stated she didn't think she did anything wrong, as she didn't think she had any way to get the food and Staff H was helping her. The resident stated she didn't want anyone to be in trouble over this and after it happened was when she found out there were staff at the facility that could have shopped for her.During another interview on 1/14/26 at 1:10 p.m., Resident #3 stated some of the items purchased required refrigeration, she didn't have access to the refrigerator and sort of lost track of those items. She stated Staff H, CNA gave her the receipt for the purchase but she didn't have it any more.During an interview on 1/8/26 at 12:40 p.m., the Director of Nursing (DON) stated they learned Resident #3 gave her EBT Food Stamp card to Staff H, CNA when a nurse reported the situation after a conversation with the resident. The DON explained Resident #3 stated she gave the card to Staff H to get food items for her and told Staff H she could get some food for herself. The DON stated Staff H was questioned and she stated she got food for the resident and for herself. DON stated Staff H didn't say what she spent on herself. The DON added that Staff H was terminated as a result and the facility reported the matter as required to the State Agency and the local police. During an interview on 1/14/26 at 10:30 a.m., Staff H, CNA, stated the resident wanted some snacks and asked her to take her [Resident #3's] EBT Food Stamp card to the store, purchase food for her [Resident #3] and said she [Staff H] could buy some food for herself as well. Staff H stated this occurred in October and she shopped at a grocery store located in [NAME]. Staff H stated she spent a little over $100 and used the resident's EBT Food Stamp card for the purchase. Staff H stated the resident checked the balance on the card before she gave it to her and it was $230 or $300. Staff H couldn't recall what she purchased for herself, then said it was a bag of chips, a 20-ounce soda and she couldn't remember what else, but was only a few items. Staff H stated she brought the resident's requested groceries to the facility in 4 or 5 grocery bags, refrigerated items were placed in the refrigerator in the beauty shop, and she returned the EBT Food Stamp card to the resident with the receipt. Staff H stated she had been a CNA since 2014, and had education on dependent adult abuse and didn't think she had done anything wrong because the resident told her she could purchase items for herself with the EBT Food Stamp card.During an interview on 1/12/26 at 12:20 p.m. Staff A, CNA and Restorative Aide (RA) stated she did not know about the situation with the resident's EBT Food Stamp card until after it occurred. She stated she was questioned by management staff. Staff A stated she knew it was wrong to use a resident's resources or accept gifts from a resident and that information was covered in the dependent adult abuse education that she received prior to employment at the facility. During an interview on 1/14/26 at 12:21 p.m., Staff L, [NAME] President of Operations for the facility's corporation stated they reimbursed the resident $25 for the items Staff H purchased for herself with the resident's EBT Food Stamp card, and would reimburse the total amount to the resident once known. Staff L stated the resident and staff were educated on dependent adult abuse that included financial exploitation, and there were designated staff at the facility that could shop for residents and who should shop for the residents when the need arose.A document received from Staff L, [NAME] President of Operations dated 1/30/26 described both she and the facility Social Worker met with the resident on 1/28/26, reviewed the purchases on the grocery store receipt dated 10/8/25 with the resident, the resident identified several items that she did not ask Staff H to purchase, those items totaled $115.96 and believed to be what Staff H had purchased for herself with the resident's EBT Food Stamp card.Review of a grocery store receipt dated 10/8/25, obtained by the State Agency on 1/22/26 revealed a total of 68 items purchased with Resident #3 EBT Food Stamp card for a total of $268.93.The facility's Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Misappropriation Prevention policy, version 10/2023 directed staff:a. Residents have the right to be free from abuse, neglect, misappropriation of resident property and exploitation. This includes but is not limited to freedom from corporal punishment, involuntary seclusion, verbal, mental, sexual or physical abuse, and physical or chemical restraint not required to treat the resident's symptoms. This policy consists of a facility-wide commitment and resource allocation to support the following objectives that include, but are not limited to:a. Protect residents from abuse, neglect, exploitation or misappropriation of property by anyone including, but not necessarily limited to facility staff, other residents, consultants, volunteers, staff from other agencies, family members, legal representatives, friends, visitors, and any other individual.b. Develop and implement policies and protocols to prevent and identify abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of residents, and/or theft, exploitation or misappropriation of resident property.c. Establish and maintain a culture of compassion and caring for all residents and particularly those with behavioral, cognitive or emotional problems.d. Provide staff orientation and training/orientation programs that include topics such as abuse prevention, identification and reporting of abuse, stress management, and handling verbally or physically aggressive resident behavior.e. Identify and investigate all possible incidents of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or misappropriation of resident property.f. Investigate and report any allegations within timeframes required by federal requirements.g. Protect residents from any further harm during investigations.