Failure to Provide Written Notification for Hospital Transfers
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide written notification to residents and, when applicable, their representatives regarding the reason for transfer to the hospital. This deficiency was identified through staff interviews and medical record reviews for three residents who were transferred to the hospital on multiple occasions. In each case, there was no evidence in the medical records that written notification was given to the resident or their representative at the time of transfer. The Regional Clinical Nurse Manager confirmed during interviews that the facility did not have a process in place for providing such notifications. For one resident, documentation showed multiple hospital transfers without written notification. Another resident's record indicated that a family member requested a hospital transfer and called 911, but there was still no documentation of written notification being provided. Staff interviews revealed that while the process for preparing transfer documentation was described, there was no evidence that the required written notifications were actually given to the residents or their representatives during these transfers.