Police officers were called to a Missouri nursing home on Monday, July 31. An employee told them that he had seen a man looking in a maintenance closet in the facility. The employee said that the man ran when he confronted him.
Police went inside and found a rolling cart filled with items and a shattered window near the maintenance room, which had been ransacked.
The officers found the suspect, who matched the employee’s description, nearby. Surveillance video showed the man walking onto the nursing home’s property at the time of the incident. He is now facing felony charges.
In Ohio, police are looking for a woman suspected in a series of thefts from three nursing homes. The woman allegedly entered the facilities, went to employee only areas and took purses or wallets.
After stealing the items, she attempted to use the debit and credit cards to buy gift cards. According to police, the thefts were in the felony range.
There is another suspect involved in the thefts, but police have not been able to get a clear enough image of the person to identify them.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Failure by a nursing home or assisted living facility to provide a safe and secure environment that prevents unauthorized persons from entering the facility in order to commit criminal acts may be considered an infringement of residents’ rights and deemed provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations. Facilities are obligated to comply with OSHA guidelines and standards, and to ensure that all healthcare staff work in a safe environment. Failure to follow OSHA guidelines and regulations may result in a financial penalty and other sanctions.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding security and surveillance and the need for implementing and following protocols to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the facility and endangering residents and staff.
- Train staff regarding the protocols for security and surveillance and the importance of responding to any door alarm signaling an unauthorized entrance into the facility. Ensure that employees, medical staff, volunteers, and contractors understand your company’s security protocols and display an authorized identification badge properly. Visitors should follow your protocol for signing in at the reception desk. Teach staff to practice a culture of vigilance and safety and to report unusual, dangerous, or suspicious activity immediately. Ensure that staff ask individuals who seem lost or unfamiliar with the surroundings if they need assistance. Explain the necessity of preventing anyone they do not know from wandering through the building unaccompanied and to call for assistance if needed.
- Periodically audit at a variety of times to determine if reception personnel and other staff are following protocols for prompt response to alarms to prevent possible intrusion by unauthorized persons. Leadership must take all reports of suspicious activity seriously and act upon them timely — lives may depend on this. Ensure locked doors remain closed and locked. Change codes on doors with keypad access at specified intervals and control sharing of codes.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, LLC for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*
