The Minnesota Department of Health has completed its investigation of financial exploitation concerns at Martin Luther Care Center, a nursing home in Bloomington, Minnesota.
A complaint was filed with the MDH alleging that a staff member in a management-level position stole 24 tablets of Tramadol, a prescription painkiller, from at least one resident.
The MDH investigated the matter and found that financial exploitation did occur when the alleged perpetrator (AP) stole 24 Tramadol tablets from an unknown number of residents for his/her personal use.
During a night shift in March 2014, a staff member found a plastic envelope on the floor in the hallway with 24 Tramadol 50 mg tablets in it. The staff member turned the envelope and contents over to the night supervisor. The AP was in the area just before the envelope of medication was found. No other staff walked through the hallway after the AP until the staff member who found the envelope containing the Tramadol.
During an interview with police, the AP admitted to stealing the 24 Tramadol for friends and relatives. An audit of the medication administration records on all the residents prescribed Tramadol in the past eight months. The audit found that residents had a combined total of 208 additional Tramadol missing.
The MDH determined that the facility is responsible for financial exploitation of its resident. The MDH found that alleged perpetrator was a trusted employee in a management level position. The individual employee was in a position that enforced policies and procedures, provided education to the employees about the policies and procedures, and he/she even interpreted polices and procedures. [Case no. H5272053]
This is not the first investigation of Martin Luther Care Center by the MDH. In February of this year, the facility was charged with neglect, a claim that was substantiated by the MDH. Facility staff failed to initiate adequate safety interventions in response to a resident’s repeated falls. The resident in question sustained a non-survivable brain injury after falling four times in three days [Case no. H5272055]
Medicare rates nursing homes, including this 137-bed nursing home. Martin Luther Care Center was assigned a rating of below average based on the government’s health inspections of the facility. Deficiencies cited by Medicare include the Martin Luther Care Center’s:
- Failure to provide necessary care and services to maintain the highest well-being of each resident
- Failure to immediately tell the resident, the resident’s doctor and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
- Failure to store, cook, and serve food in a safe and clean way.
The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due neglect or abuse in a nursing home or other care facility, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
