Page 187
volunteer of an out-of-home care facility in which the vulnerable adult resides. (c) Upon receipt of a report under (a) or (b) of this section, the long term care ombudsman and the department shall (1) conduct an investigation as appropriate under AS 44.25.310 or this title, respectively; (2) coordinate and cooperate in their responses to and investigations of the report if their jurisdictions overlap. (d) If the long term care ombudsman directly receives a report regarding the undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect of a vulnerable adult in an out-of-home care facility, the ombudsman may provide the report, and the results of the ombudsman's actions or investigations regarding the report, to the department's vulnerable adult centralized intake office. The ombudsman shall obtain the informed consent of the vulnerable adult or the vulnerable adult's resident representative before providing the report to the department. The department may investigate the report as described in AS 47.24.015 if the department determines that action is appropriate. In this subsection, “resident representative” has the meaning given in AS 44.25.390. (e) [Repealed, § 15 ch 19 SLA 2017.] (f) If an investigation conducted by an agency under this section shows reasonable cause to believe that a certified nurse aide has committed abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property, the agency shall report the matter to the Board of Nursing. Sec. 47.24.015. Action on reports. (a) Upon the department's receipt of a report under AS 47.24.010, the department, or its designee, shall promptly initiate an investigation to determine whether the vulnerable adult who is the subject of the report suffers from undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect. The department, or its designee, shall conduct a face-to-face interview with the vulnerable adult unless that person is unconscious or the department, or its designee, has determined that a face-to-face interview could further endanger the vulnerable adult. In this subsection, “face-to-face interview” means an in-person interview or an interview conducted through the use of technology that allows participants who are physically separated from each other to interact visually and orally. (b) After the department conducts an investigation under (a) of this section, the department shall prepare a written report of the investigation, including findings, recommendations, and a determination of whether and what kind of supportive or protective services are needed by and are to be offered to the vulnerable adult. After the department's designee conducts an investigation under (a) of this section, the designee shall prepare a written report of the investigation, including findings, recommendations, and a proposed determination of whether and what kind of supportive or protective services are to be offered to the vulnerable adult. The department shall prepare, and attach to the designee's report, a final determination regarding services to be offered to the vulnerable adult. (c) The department or its designee shall immediately terminate an investigation under this section upon the request of the vulnerable adult who is the subject of the report made under AS 47.24.010. However, the department or its designee may not terminate the investigation if the investigation to that point has resulted in probable cause to believe that the vulnerable adult is in need of protective services and the request is made personally by the vulnerable adult and the vulnerable adult is not competent to make the request on the adult's own behalf, or the request is