Failure to Provide Hospice Care Plan, Communication Notes, and Coordinator Designation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide required hospice documentation and coordination for one resident receiving hospice services. Specifically, the facility did not have a hospice-created care plan available at the nurse's station or in the resident's electronic medical record, as required by both facility policy and the agreement with the contracted hospice agency. Additionally, hospice communication notes were not present in the designated binders or the electronic record, and staff confirmed that the hospice company had not been leaving these notes for an extended period. Furthermore, there was no written designation of a facility hospice coordinator, which is necessary for ensuring proper coordination of hospice care. These deficiencies were identified during interviews with facility staff, who were unable to locate the required documents or identify a designated hospice coordinator in writing. The findings pertain to one resident out of three reviewed for hospice services in a sample of 22.