Springvale Nursing: Resident's Cell Phone Vanishes - NY
Resident #194, who has cerebral infarction and schizoaffective disorder, reported the phone missing in October 2024. The resident was moderately cognitively impaired according to federal assessment records.
A social work note from October 14, 2024 documented that Resident #194 told staff their phone went missing while being charged. The Director of Social Work discussed the matter with the resident's family member, but inspectors found no evidence the facility had protected the phone from loss or theft.
The missing phone wasn't an isolated incident. During a telephone interview on August 12, 2025, a complainant told inspectors that both Resident #194's cell phone and clothing had gone missing at the facility in October 2024. The complainant had communicated directly with the administrator about the facility's investigation into the matter.
Facility policy from January 2025 stated that each resident would be offered a locked drawer or equivalent storage with a key for small valuables. But when inspectors interviewed staff, they discovered confusion about how personal property was actually protected.
The Director of Social Work, who began working at the facility in July 2024, explained the haphazard system during an August 14 interview. If a resident lacked capacity, nursing staff would sometimes take possession of valuables for safekeeping and sometimes give them to the Director of Social Work. Some residents and their families insisted the resident keep their valuables, like cell phones.
The Director of Social Work said they could offer residents access to their cell phone if it was locked in the Social Work Office, but only on a limited basis. They admitted being unaware whether Resident #194 was offered a personal storage area or lockbox for their cell phone in October 2024.
When asked about inventory checklists that were supposed to document residents' belongings, the Director of Social Work said they would need to check with the Housekeeping Department for copies of Resident #194's records.
Licensed Practical Nurse #3 described yet another version of the storage system during an August 15 interview. Some residents had bedside dresser drawers equipped with locks for valuables, the nurse explained. The Maintenance Department could be contacted to obtain a lockable drawer for residents without one in their room.
Residents could hold onto the keys themselves, or licensed nurses could hold the keys if residents were unable to manage them, the nurse said.
The Administrator, interviewed the same day, provided still another account of the facility's property protection. Residents were allowed to keep their cell phones and had their possessions documented on personal property inventory checklists, the Administrator said.
Each resident had access to a lockable dresser drawer in their room to keep valuables safe, according to the Administrator. But they could not recall the details of Resident #194's missing cell phone.
The conflicting staff accounts revealed a system where nobody took clear responsibility for protecting residents' personal property. Clothing brought to the facility was supposed to be labeled by Housekeeping and documented on inventory forms, with copies kept at the front desk for easy access by resident families.
But for valuable items like cell phones, the facility operated without consistent procedures. Some staff took possession of valuables. Others left them with cognitively impaired residents. Some offered locked storage in the Social Work Office with limited access.
The missing phone highlighted the vulnerability of residents with cognitive impairment. Resident #194's schizoaffective disorder and moderate cognitive impairment made them particularly dependent on staff to protect their belongings.
Federal inspectors cited the facility for failing to ensure a safe environment with protection of residents' property from loss or theft. The violation affected few residents but created minimal harm or potential for actual harm.
The October 2024 incident occurred months before inspectors arrived for their August 2025 survey. By then, Resident #194's cell phone remained missing, and staff could provide no explanation of what happened to prevent similar losses.
The facility's January 2025 policy requiring locked storage for valuables came after Resident #194's phone disappeared, suggesting management recognized the problem but acted too late for this resident.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Springvale Nursing & Rehabilitation Center from 2025-08-15 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 21, 2026 · Our methodology
SPRINGVALE NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER in CROTON ON HUDSON, NY was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 15, 2025.
Resident #194, who has cerebral infarction and schizoaffective disorder, reported the phone missing in October 2024.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.