Theft or missing items?

[romie]

I was curious to see how common theft of resident cash and personal belongings were in your LTC facilities. We have policies in place to deal with residents who report missing items or claim staff have stolen from them. Sometimes people have dementia issues and nothing was actually stolen or missing, sometimes well-intentioned family members have simply returned items to the home in the community, sometimes items are actually misplaced elsewhere in the facility

But sometimes I really suspect that staff may actually be stealing. Does your facility inspect staff bags regularily? Has your facilty put procedures in place designed to catch theives?

Finally, I was curious to see if there was a relationship between the races of the CNA, housekeepers and other low level workers and the PERCEPTION of residents and their families that theft was occuring.

[TreeHawk]

I've wondered about this too since my Grandmother was in an LTC about 10 years ago, had severe Alzheimers, but still insisted in moments of clarity that some of her jewelry was stolen. Nothing expensive, but I often wonder if it happened. The facility didn't seem like a really super nice one either, but I doubt that matters. I would just suggest as a precaution to not have anything of value at a LTC facility. The majority of staff are honest, but there's always that small % that ruin it for everyone.

As for racial indicators in this issue...I worked on a geri unit at a psych hospital and some of the patients with dementia would use racial obscenities. It may be a combination of generational issues, racism, and dementia. Political correctness and equality are semi-recent developments, and some of these folks are older than the civil rights movements! Most of the kind folks that worked there shrugged it off and chalked it up to dementia.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

The residents should be offered a lock box either in their room or office to lock personal goods.

Theft happens. 60 bucks went missing from an aunt of ours (I know....why so much money? in the first place)

An investigation should always take place in if needed the police should be called in. Normally the facility will reimburse the pt/ family.

We don't search bags or I don't think have a policy in place to catch them. Of course the back ground checks are done.

As far as the race/ socio class.....I've seen it in the best/ worst and all types of staffing.

[LoriAlabamaRN]

We've had instances of theft... once a housekeeper was caught in the act and fired. Our residents get a paltry $30 a month to spend, and it's disgusting that people would steal from someone who has so little. We replace any stolen money or items. Of course, we have people who take advantage of this- one resident stated that his wallet with $5 was stolen, when we gave him the money back, he started regularly reporting "stolen wallets stuffed with cash". Last time he made a report he said he had three wallets "stuffed with cash" stolen at once. Needless to say, he did not get the free money he was looking for. In the first place, noone visits him to bring him money, and in the second place, the last wallet he reported stolen was found buried in his underwear drawer, with the $5 still in it.

[CHATSDALE]

we have a problem with other residents stealing from fellow residents..there is one quy who has been in fights with other residents who catch him in their room he has been taken out of others room by staff in the middle of the night but to no avail...he wants cigarettes or money and he will sneak around until he gets them

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

When my grandfather was in a LTC it was usually his electric razor or his wristwatch that would turn up missing. Now if anyone can convince me that staff didnt use the same razor on several residents and presumed it was the "house" razor(which by the way never reappeared), or that his watch was taken off for showering and misplaced (which also never reappeared) and give me a reasonable story for why it wasnt taken better care of i guess ill accept it. Otherwise, no excuse for not taking better care of someone elses meger posessions while they are in LTC. Shame.

[Blackcat99]

I worked in 2 different nursing homes. At the first facility, a patient dying of cancer had her diamond wedding ring removed from her finger. At the other facility, a woman had an expensive ring missing. The police were notified but these items were never recovered. I truly believe that nursing staff stole these items.:angryfire