Failure to Arrange Transportation for Clinic Appointment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident received medically-related social services necessary to achieve the highest possible quality of life by not arranging transportation for a scheduled clinic appointment. The resident, who had a history of cerebral infarction, hemiplegia, heart failure, asthma, and depression, was dependent on staff for daily activities and had moderately impaired cognitive functioning. A physician's order required the resident to attend a follow-up appointment with a pulmonologist, with specific instructions for preparation and transportation. Despite the scheduled appointment and the need for wheelchair-accessible transportation, the Social Services Director did not arrange transportation ahead of time, relying instead on a transportation agency that only accepted same-day requests. On the day of the appointment, no wheelchair-accessible transportation was available, and the facility did not utilize a private transportation agency that could have been scheduled in advance. The Director of Nursing confirmed that there was no facility policy or procedure for arranging transportation, and acknowledged that this failure could potentially delay care and worsen the resident's condition.