Failure to Inform and Provide Dialysis Transportation Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to inform and offer transportation services to and from dialysis appointments at no cost for a resident requiring dialysis, as part of the bundled services. The resident, who was cognitively intact and admitted with multiple diagnoses including acute renal failure, chronic kidney disease, and dementia, was scheduled for dialysis three times a week. The care plan indicated that the family was responsible for transportation, but there was no documentation that the facility had discussed or offered its own transportation services, which were included in the bundled payment and available at no extra charge. The resident's family expressed concern and confusion about why they were required to provide transportation, stating that no one from the facility had discussed this option with them upon admission. Interviews with facility staff, including the LPN, Social Services Director, and Administrator, confirmed that transportation for dialysis was a service provided by the facility and should have been offered to the resident and family. The Administrator acknowledged that there was a lack of communication regarding this service and that the family was not given the choice to use the facility's transportation. Facility policy also stated that the campus is responsible for arranging or providing transportation to and from the dialysis provider, but this procedure was not followed in this case.