Failure to Ensure Timely Physician Assessment After Readmission
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident was assessed by a physician within the required timeframe following readmission from the hospital. Medical record review showed that the resident, who had multiple diagnoses including morbid obesity, respiratory failure, obstructive sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, bipolar disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and alcohol dependence, was admitted with hospice services and was dependent on staff for most activities of daily living. Documentation revealed that the resident had not been seen by a physician since a date prior to her hospital readmission, and this was confirmed by the medical director, who acknowledged that the resident should have been assessed within thirty days of readmission but was not.