Failure to Readmit Resident Despite Available Bed
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to readmit a resident after transfer to a General Acute Care Hospital (GACH) for evaluation of a distended abdomen with pain. The resident, who had diagnoses including paraplegia and hydronephrosis and was cognitively intact, was initially admitted and later readmitted to the facility. After the hospital transfer, the resident was determined to be ready for discharge back to a skilled nursing facility, and the discharge order remained active for several days. Despite this, the facility informed the hospital case manager that there were no available male beds, and the resident remained at the hospital awaiting placement. A review of the facility's census and bed assignments revealed that there was at least one available male bed for 11 consecutive days during the period the resident was waiting for readmission. The Director of Nursing confirmed that a bed was available and stated that the resident should have been readmitted. The facility's policy indicated that residents eligible for Medi-Cal/Medicaid should be readmitted to their previous room or the first available bed. The failure to readmit the resident resulted in a prolonged hospital stay and frustration for the resident, who considered the facility his home.