Two CNAs Arrested for Stealing from Residents in Florida Nursing Homes
Florida police arrested and charged two certified nursing aides (CNAs) with stealing from residents in two different Florida nursing homes where they were employed. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) has also disciplined both of them.
One of the aides is facing possible grand theft and embezzlement charges for her exploitation of a resident in the nursing home where she worked. The DOH issued an emergency restriction order (ERO) after she was arrested. That order bans her from working as a CNA in any type of facility where she would have access to a patient’s financial information or means of payment. She allegedly asked a resident for money to pay an electric bill, and the resident gave her a check for $170 that the aide promised to pay back. However, the aide not only did not pay the money back, she took checks from the resident’s checkbook and wrote two other checks, one for another $170 and the other for $180, making her theft equal to $520. The resident’s daughter discovered the theft and reported it. Although the aide denied the theft, she was fired by the facility. She posted a $35,000 bond in order to be released.
The other aide stole a credit card from a resident’s purse and used it to make two purchases totaling $453.28—both charges were to Rent-A-Centers in two locations. The second aide was charged with two counts of criminal use of personal identification information, two counts of credit card fraud, and one count of third degree grand theft. The fraud and credit card charges were dropped. This aide was given an emergency suspension order (ESO) by the DOH and was also fired by the nursing home. She posted a $21,000 bond for her release.
Compliance Perspective
Failing to protect residents from having their financial resources misappropriated by caregivers asking for loans, stealing checks, and using credit cards to make unauthorized purchases may be considered abuse, neglect, and exploitation and deemed provision of substandard quality of care in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures to ensure adequate protocols are in place to protect the personal finances of residents and to prevent any misappropriation of their property and finances by caregivers or other staff members.
- Train staff regarding the policies and procedures that prohibit asking for or accepting money from residents and misappropriating residents’ financial resources (checks and credit cards) for their personal use.
- Periodically audit to determine if residents are being provided with locked drawers and are trained on how to use them for keeping their valuables and financial resources safe. Also consider periodically communicating with both residents and their families about the importance of using the locked drawers and helping their loved ones by reviewing bank and credit card statements with them.
