Failure to Notify Ombudsman of Resident Transfers and Discharges
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide written notification to the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman regarding the transfer and discharge of five residents who were sent to the hospital. Record reviews for these residents showed that their Nursing Home Transfer and Discharge Notices did not indicate that the Ombudsman had been notified as required. The facility's Admission/Discharge report confirmed that nine residents had been transferred to an acute care hospital within the review period, but there was no documentation of Ombudsman notification for these cases. Interviews with the Social Services Director and the Nursing Home Administrator revealed that the facility had not notified the Ombudsman of the residents' transfers and did not have documentation to support that such notifications had occurred. An email from the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program District Manager further indicated that the Ombudsman had not received the required discharge notifications from the facility. The facility's own policy requires notification of the Ombudsman and staff training on these procedures, but compliance was not demonstrated.