Failure to Timely Notify Responsible Party of Resident Injury and Change in Condition
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to immediately notify a resident's responsible party of a significant change in the resident's condition, specifically an injury of unknown origin resulting in right arm immobility and pain. On the morning of the incident, an LPN assessed the resident and administered Tylenol for pain, later obtaining a physician's order for an x-ray in the afternoon. Despite these developments, the resident's responsible party was not informed of the change in condition or the new physician's orders at the time they occurred. Documentation review confirmed there was no evidence of timely notification. The responsible party was only notified in the evening, after the x-ray results confirmed a right arm fracture, several hours after the initial assessment and intervention. Interviews with staff and the responsible party corroborated the delay in notification.