Failure to Provide Written Notice for Resident Room Change
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor a resident's right to receive written notification, including the reason for a room change, prior to moving the resident to a different room. According to the facility's policy, the Social Service Designee or Social Worker, in conjunction with the DON, is responsible for ensuring that residents or their representatives receive written notice before any room or roommate change occurs. In this case, the Social Service Director acknowledged that while she had previously discussed a room change with the resident's representative, she moved the resident again at a later date without providing the required written notification or explanation to the representative. The resident involved had a diagnosis of dementia and a BIMS score of 6, indicating severe cognitive impairment, which further underscores the importance of notifying the resident's representative. Both the Social Service Director and the Administrator confirmed during interviews that the facility did not provide the necessary written notice or reason for the room change, as required by policy and resident rights.