|
Tip Sheets
Theft Prevention in your Nursing Home
Theft is the most frequently reported
crime in nursing homes. Because residents have few
belongings, even small thefts can be traumatic. Therefore,
the theft of any personal item deserves serious attention.
This tip sheet includes a checklist for
theft prevention and theft prevention strategies for
residents and nursing homes. This checklist may be used to
evaluate a home’s theft prevention program. Homes that
take a proactive approach will likely be more effective in
preventing theft.
Contact the Office of Ombudsman for Older
Minnesotans for advocacy services or assistance in using
these theft prevention strategies.
Theft Prevention Checklist
Safeguard Your Belongings
- Use a zippered money purse to hold small amounts of
cash during the day. Pin the purse to your clothing for
safekeeping.
- Use common sense safety precautions with valuables.
Don’t create opportunities for theft by leaving cash
and jewelry visible.
- Review your personal inventory form that lists your
personal possessions. Update this form as necessary.
- Check your homeowners insurance to see if coverage can
be extended to your property during a nursing home stay.
- Utilize the home’s option of safekeeping your
personal funds.
Track and Report Missing Items
- Have your personal belongings labeled or identified as
belonging to you.
- Report all missing items immediately. All items
regardless of value and should be reported.
Page 1 of 3
Be Actively Involved
- Insist that all visitors knock, announce themselves
and wait to be invited before entering your room. Use
your call light to alert staff if an uninvited guest
tries to enter your room.
- Be aware of your surroundings. If you notice something
out of the ordinary, take note of it and alert others.
- Participate in resident council meetings. Share your
ideas for improved theft prevention.
- Become a member of the crime prevention team in your
home. Resident participation is valuable.
Evaluate Your Home’s Theft Prevention
Strategies
Improve Education and Training
- Does the home have a theft prevention policy? Staff
should know these policies.
- Is regular training on crime prevention offered? One
topic may be the role of your crime prevention officer.
- Staff must be trained/informed not to borrow money or
belongings or accept gifts from residents. If gifts are
offered, the staff must first discuss the gift offer
with a supervisor.
Safeguard Resident Belongings
- Staff members should be aware of each resident’s
valuables. These items should be monitored daily by the
resident or staff.
- All resident items (including eyeglasses and dentures)
should be permanently labeled. This is a deterrent for
criminals and makes it easier to identify missing items.
- A central locked depository or individual lock boxes
must be provided for residents. This is a requirement
under state law.
- The home’s cashier and central locked storage should
be accessible and easy to use.
- Consider securing larger valuables such as TVs and
VCRs to the wall or table.
- Operation I.D. may be advertised as an option for
safeguarding valuables.
- Inquire about the home’s insurance coverage for
residents’ losses due to theft.
Track and Report Missing Items
- Staff should be instructed on the process of
reporting/documenting theft as soon as they have
knowledge of its occurrence.
- The reporting form and process should be easy for
staff and residents to understand.
- A staff person should be designated to review reports
of missing items. They should be reviewed frequently to
identify patterns that may help in identifying a thief.
- The home should have a plan of when and how to make a
report of theft to the police. This plan should involve
residents and family members in the process.
- The home should establish a working relationship with
the local police department, which may include educating
police about nursing home life.
Improve Security
- Visitors should be encouraged to sign in and out at
the reception desk.
- Police can evaluate entrances and exits in the home.
Alarm systems or cameras may be installed at
unsupervised doors.
- Staff should do random monitoring of the home and
increase the monitoring when a missing item is reported.
- Potential employees and volunteers should be
appropriately interviewed and criminal background checks
must be completed on persons who are hired or accepted
as volunteers.
Office of Ombudsman for Older
Minnesotans
651-431-2555 or 1-800-657-3591
|
