Failure to Inform Residents About Ombudsman Program
Summary
The facility failed to provide accessible information about the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program to its residents. During a resident group meeting, all 11 residents present were unaware of what the Ombudsman was, their role, or where to find information about the program within the facility. An observation revealed that the Ombudsman information was located in the hall by the living room area, but it was not effectively communicated to the residents. The Activity Director acknowledged that while they had previously discussed the Ombudsman information, it had not been recently addressed with the residents. The Administrator confirmed that staff should inform residents about the Ombudsman, their role, and contact information, indicating a lapse in communication and education regarding resident rights and external advocacy resources.
Penalty
Resources
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The facility failed to ensure that residents were provided with and signed the necessary admission documentation, including the Consent to Treatment and Other Acknowledgements form and the Nursing Home Admission Agreement. This affected 41 residents, resulting in the facility not having consent to bill Medicare/Medicaid or to treat the residents.
Failure to Provide and Obtain Signed Admission Documentation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents admitted were provided with a description of the requirements and procedures for establishing eligibility for Medicaid, including the right to request an assessment of resources, as well as information concerning Medicare and Medicaid eligibility and coverage. This deficiency affected 41 residents whose records were reviewed for admission documentation. The review revealed that the Consent to Treatment and Other Acknowledgements form was not signed by the resident or their representative, nor was it witnessed by a facility representative. Additionally, the Nursing Home Admission Agreement, which describes the daily room rate, the right to an assessment of resources, and the authorization to bill Medicaid or Medicare for services rendered, was also not signed or witnessed as required. For instance, Resident #2 was admitted with diagnoses including hypertension, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. The admission documentation for this resident lacked the necessary signatures on both the Consent to Treatment and Other Acknowledgements form and the Nursing Home Admission Agreement. Similar deficiencies were found in the records of other residents, such as Resident #3, who was admitted with hyperglycemia, diabetes, and hypertension, and Resident #5, who was admitted and readmitted with diagnoses including encephalopathy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypertension. In each case, the required forms were not signed by the resident or their representative, nor were they witnessed by a facility representative. The issue was confirmed during an interview with Social Service Designee (SSD) #828, who acknowledged that the facility did not ensure the 41 residents had signed admission agreements. This lack of signed documentation resulted in the facility not having consent to bill Medicare/Medicaid for services rendered or a consent to treat while the residents were admitted. This deficiency represents non-compliance investigated under Complaint Number OH00151839.
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