Failure to Provide Required Discharge Notification to Resident's Representative
Penalty
Summary
A resident with Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus, who was severely cognitively impaired and exhibited wandering and behavioral issues, was discharged to another facility. The resident's care plan did not address any plan for discharge, and progress notes indicated the discharge was scheduled, but there was no documentation that a discharge notice was provided to the resident or that the family or legal representative was notified. The resident's family member, who held power of attorney, stated she was never informed of the discharge by the facility. Facility policy requires that written notice of transfer or discharge, including the reason, effective date, and new location, be provided to the resident and, if known, a family member or legal representative prior to the transfer or discharge. The medical record lacked documentation of this required notification, and the administrator confirmed that such documentation would be expected in the record.