Failure in Discharge Planning Process
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement an effective discharge planning process for a resident who was reviewed for this care area. The resident, who had impaired thought processes due to dementia, was admitted for rehabilitation services and later discharged back to his home. However, the discharge process was not properly executed, as the resident was discharged without the necessary prescriptions for his medications, which included Bumetanide, Metoprolol Succinate ER, Haloperidol, and Ferrous Sulfate. The emergency contact for the resident reported that upon discharge, the resident needed prescriptions for his medications, but a physician was not available to write them, and the facility did not provide any medication samples. This lack of preparation left the resident without the necessary medications until the prescriptions could be fulfilled. The unit manager confirmed that the emergency contact called two days after the discharge, still without the medications or prescriptions. The Medical Director was unaware of the resident's scheduled discharge and received a call from the facility on the day of discharge, requesting him to write the prescriptions. However, he was unable to do so at that time. It was not until two days later that the Medical Director wrote the prescriptions, which were then faxed to the pharmacy. This series of events highlights the facility's failure to ensure a smooth and effective discharge process, as required by their policy.
Plan Of Correction
The facility can not retroactively correct the cited deficient practice for Resident R1. Current residents scheduled for discharges are being reviewed during morning meeting to verify an effective discharge plan is in place. The Social Worker and nursing management team has been re-inserviced on the Discharge Planning Process policy. Current residents scheduled for discharges are being reviewed during morning meeting to verify an effective discharge plan is in place. The Social Worker or designee will conduct audits of discharged residents to verify an effective discharge planning process was in place, and prescriptions/or medications were given as indicated. Audits will be completed weekly x4 weeks, then monthly x2 months. Results of the audits will be reported at the monthly Quality Assurance Improvement Meetings for review and recommendations.