Failure to Designate Staff for Hospice Coordination
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to designate a member of its Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) to coordinate care with hospice representatives for a resident who was receiving hospice services. The resident, who had diagnoses including adult failure to thrive and rhabdomyolysis, required substantial to maximal assistance for personal hygiene and dressing, and had unclear speech with limited ability to communicate. The resident was readmitted to the facility under hospice care, and hospice visitation schedules indicated that a Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) was supposed to visit on specific dates. However, a review of the hospice staff sign-in logs showed no evidence that the CHHA signed in or provided care on the scheduled dates. The Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that there was no designated staff member responsible for coordinating with hospice staff or monitoring their scheduled visits. Additionally, the facility lacked a policy or procedure for assigning a staff member to coordinate hospice services, resulting in an inability to verify whether the resident received the necessary hospice care as scheduled.