Failure to Provide Timely Discharge Notification to Ombudsman
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide timely notification of a proposed transfer/discharge to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman for a resident who was discharged to an assisted living facility. According to the facility's policy, both the resident and the Ombudsman are to receive a 30-day written notice prior to an impending transfer or discharge. However, the record review showed that the discharge notification for the resident was sent to the Ombudsman via fax on the same day as the surveyor's interview, which was after the resident had already been discharged. The resident involved had a history of epilepsy, chronic pancreatitis, and muscle weakness, and required moderate assistance with activities of daily living due to moderately impaired cognitive skills. The DON confirmed during the interview that the notification was sent after the discharge and initially believed there was a 30-day window post-discharge to notify the Ombudsman, but upon reviewing the policy, acknowledged that advance notice was required. This failure to provide timely notification was contrary to the facility's own procedures and could have impacted the resident's rights regarding the discharge process.