Failure to Complete Required PASARR Screenings and Referrals for Mental Health Diagnoses
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a required pre-admission screening and resident review (PASARR) for a resident with mental disorders prior to admission. The facility's policy required all applicants to be screened for serious mental disorders or intellectual disabilities before admission, and to coordinate assessments with the PASARR program. The resident in question was admitted with diagnoses including schizophrenia, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder, but there was no evidence that a PASARR Level I screening was completed prior to admission. Additionally, the facility did not refer the resident for a Level II PASARR following two separate inpatient psychiatric treatments after admission, as required by policy for residents exhibiting behavioral or psychiatric symptoms or following intensive psychiatric treatment. Interviews with facility staff revealed confusion and lack of clarity regarding responsibility for PASARR assessments. The interim DON believed admissions staff and the social worker were responsible, while the Administrator stated she completed Level I assessments but did not believe hospitalization on a behavioral health unit necessitated a Level II assessment. The resident confirmed being sent out for behavioral issues twice since admission and was unaware of any PASARR assessment. The facility's failure to complete the required screenings and referrals resulted in noncompliance with both facility policy and regulatory requirements.