Failure to Provide Required Written Notices for Transfers, Discharges, and Bed-Hold Policies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide required written notices to residents and/or their representatives regarding transfers and discharges. Specifically, for four sampled residents who were transferred or discharged, there was no documentation of written notice specifying the reason for transfer, effective date, location, statement of the resident's appeal rights, or the duration of the bed-hold policy. The facility's bed-hold policy states that residents should be informed of these details at admission and prior to transfer, but record reviews showed that this was not done. Instead, staff reported that only a Transfer/Discharge report was sent with the resident, which did not include the necessary information about bed-hold policies or appeal rights. Interviews with facility staff, including the Medical Records staff, MDS/Care Plan Nurse, LPN, DON, and Administrator, revealed a lack of knowledge regarding who was responsible for providing the required written notices and what information should be included. Staff confirmed that the Transfer/Discharge report did not contain the required details and that notifications were typically made by telephone. Additionally, the facility did not notify the State's Long-Term Care Ombudsman in writing of any resident transfers or discharges, as required, and staff were unaware of this obligation.