Failure to Provide Written Notice for Resident Room Change
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to provide written notice, including the reason for a room change, to a resident prior to moving her to a different room. The facility's policy requires that residents and their representatives receive a written explanation when a room change is initiated by the facility. In this case, the resident, who had intact cognition as indicated by a BIMS score of 15, was moved after an incident involving conflict with her roommate. Documentation in the medical record and interviews confirmed that the resident was verbally informed of the room change by the DON, but neither the resident nor her responsible party received the required written notice. The resident expressed dissatisfaction with the move, and the DON acknowledged that the facility did not follow its policy regarding written notification for room changes.