Failure to Notify Ombudsman of Resident Transfers and Discharges
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide the required Nursing Home Transfer and Discharge Notice (NHTDN) to the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman office for three out of five residents reviewed for discharge. Specifically, documentation for three residents who were transferred or discharged did not show that the Ombudsman was notified, as required by facility policy and regulatory guidelines. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman confirmed that only one notification had been received from the facility over several months, despite multiple transfers and discharges occurring during that period. Record reviews revealed that the NHTDNs for the affected residents either lacked documentation of Ombudsman notification or were not dated. The Social Services Director, responsible for sending these notifications, was unable to provide email verification that the required notices had been sent for the residents in question. The facility's policy mandates that a copy of the discharge notice be sent to the local Ombudsman Council within five business days after signature by the resident or their representative, but this process was not followed for the identified cases.