Delay in Readmission Following Hospitalization Due to Bed Availability
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident, who was dependent on staff for all activities of daily living and had severe cognitive impairment, was promptly readmitted after being stabilized at a general acute care hospital. The resident, who had diagnoses including hemiplegia, hemiparesis, metabolic encephalopathy, and multiple pressure injuries, was transferred to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. Hospital records indicated the resident was ready for discharge back to the facility, but the facility initially reported no bed availability on two separate occasions. Despite the facility's policy stating that residents should be permitted to return to their previous room or the first available bed, the resident remained at the hospital for three additional days after being deemed appropriate for return. The Director of Nursing confirmed that a bed was available on the second attempt, and acknowledged that the resident should have been readmitted at that time, as the facility was the resident's home. This delay in readmission was not in accordance with the facility's stated procedures for bed holds and returns.