Failure to Timely Renew Resident's Driver's License
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure timely renewal of a driver's license for a resident with severe cognitive impairment and multiple diagnoses, including myalgia, unspecified dementia, unspecified psychosis, and toxic encephalopathy. The resident required maximal assistance with activities of daily living, as documented in the Minimum Data Set. The Social Services Director (SSD) was responsible for handling identification and license renewals and was notified in June that the resident's driver's license needed renewal. However, the SSD did not initiate contact with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) until November and only completed the renewal application in February of the following year. The SSD did not follow up with the DMV after submitting the application and assumed the resident's responsible party would handle any further steps. This lack of follow-up resulted in a delay in the renewal process. The facility's policy indicated that the SSD was responsible for assisting with appointments for residents and families as needed, but this responsibility was not fully carried out in this instance.