A former employee in an Illinois nursing home was recently arrested and charged with felony counts of wire fraud and continuing a financial crimes enterprise. Local police indicated that the accused woman is tied to at least 34 other cases of identity theft involving mostly elderly persons that occurred in other area communities. Losses discovered so far in this investigation have amounted to $25,000.
After a nursing home resident’s daughter noticed that there were unauthorized charges in the checking account used to pay for the resident’s care at the nursing home, she contacted the police. The police began an investigation and in working with the nursing home discovered that the former employee had gained access to the resident’s financial information and documents. She allegedly made copies of that information, sent it to her personal email, and used the resident’s stolen identity to make purchases and pay her bills.
The deputy police chief indicated that they had been looking for the woman for over a year.
The woman remains in custody awaiting a bond hearing.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Failure to protect residents from identity theft by employees who use the personal information to exploit the residents financially may be considered a breach of residents’ rights to be free from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and misappropriation and considered provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding background checks for employees and those pertaining to the prevention of resident identity theft through protection of residents’ financial and health information.
- Train staff about abuse, neglect, and exploitation and to report any reasonable suspicion of a crime against a resident to a supervisor or through the facility’s Hotline.
- Periodically audit to ensure that employees are carefully screened, and that the facility receives the results of background checks before individuals are hired. Also, periodically make residents, families, and responsible parties aware of the potential for identity theft and encourage the use of lockable drawers to keep identity and personal financial information protected.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC view: ABUSE OF RESIDENT PERSONAL FUNDS and RESIDENT FINANCIAL RIGHTS.
