Failure to Provide Bed Hold Policy Notification at Hospital Transfer
Summary
Facility staff failed to provide written notification of the bed hold policy to residents or their representatives at the time of transfer to the hospital for three out of four sampled residents. According to the facility's own Bed Hold Policy Guidelines, notification is required upon admission, at the time of transfer to the hospital or leave, and at the time of non-covered therapeutic leave. Record review showed that for three residents, there was no documentation that a bed hold notice was issued during multiple hospital discharges and readmissions. Interviews with the residents confirmed that they did not receive a bed hold notice at the time of their transfers. Further interviews with facility staff, including the ADON, SSD, DON, and the administrator, revealed that the responsibility for issuing and filing the bed hold notice lies with the charge nurse, with follow-up by the SSD. However, staff were unaware that some notices had not been issued, and there was no clear process to double-check that the notices were consistently provided and documented. The facility census at the time was 88.
Penalty
Two residents who were transferred to an acute care hospital did not receive written bed hold notices, nor did their family members or legal representatives. Review of clinical records and staff interviews confirmed the absence of required documentation at the time of transfer.
Facility staff did not provide a resident and/or the resident's representative with the required written bed-hold policy notification when the resident, who had multiple serious medical conditions and moderate cognitive impairment, was transferred to a hospital. No documentation of the notification was found in the clinical record, and the DON confirmed its absence during the survey.
A resident who was recently hospitalized for shortness of breath was not provided with the required written bed-hold policy before transfer. The NHA confirmed that neither the resident nor their representative received this information, and was unaware of the requirement.
A resident was transferred to a hospital without receiving written notification of the facility's bed-hold policy, and staff confirmed that no such documentation was provided prior to the transfer.
A resident with congestive heart failure was transferred to the hospital multiple times without being provided the required written bed hold notification. Documentation was incomplete or missing for each transfer, with no evidence that the bed hold policy was communicated or acknowledged as required by regulation.
Transitions Healthcare Allens Cove failed to provide a resident with written notice of the bed-hold policy during hospital transfers, as required by federal regulations. Despite the facility's policy, there was no evidence that the resident or their representative received the necessary information during two hospitalizations. The resident had a history of hypertension and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
Failure to Issue Written Bed Hold Notices Upon Hospital Transfer
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a written bed hold notice to two residents, or their family members or legal representatives, when the residents were transferred to an acute care hospital. Specifically, the clinical records for both residents showed that they were transferred and subsequently admitted to a hospital, but there was no documentation that a written bed hold notice was issued at the time of transfer. This was confirmed during an interview with the Market Clinical Advisor, who was unable to locate any evidence of the required notification in the records for either resident. The deficiency centers on the lack of written communication regarding bed hold policy to the residents or their representatives at the time of hospital transfer, as required by regulation.
Failure to Provide Bed-Hold Policy Notification Upon Hospital Transfer
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to provide a resident and/or the resident's representative with the facility's bed-hold policy upon the resident's transfer to a higher level of care. Specifically, for one sampled resident with multiple significant diagnoses, including heart failure, chronic respiratory failure, and cognitive impairment, there was no documented evidence that the required written notification regarding the bed-hold policy was given at the time of transfer to the hospital. A review of the clinical record confirmed the absence of this documentation, and the DON was unable to locate any evidence that the bed-hold policy had been provided. This deficiency was identified through staff interviews, clinical record review, and facility document review, and was discussed with facility leadership during the survey process.
Failure to Provide Bed-Hold Policy Prior to Hospital Transfer
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a written bed-hold policy to a resident or the resident’s representative prior to the resident’s transfer to the hospital. During an interview, the resident confirmed a recent hospitalization and review of the resident’s progress notes documented the transfer for further evaluation of shortness of breath. Subsequent interviews with the Nursing Home Administrator revealed that neither the resident nor their representative received the required bed-hold policy information before the transfer, and the administrator was unaware of the requirement to provide this policy.
Failure to Provide Written Bed-Hold Policy Notification Prior to Hospital Transfer
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide written notification of its bed-hold policy to a resident or the resident’s representative prior to the resident’s transfer to a hospital. Medical record review showed that, before the resident was transferred in August 2024, there was no documentation indicating that the required written notification was given. Staff interviews confirmed that neither the resident nor the representative received the facility’s bed-hold policy paperwork or documentation before the transfer occurred.
Failure to Provide Bed Hold Notification Upon Hospital Transfer
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide proper bed hold notification to a resident who was transferred to the hospital on three separate occasions. Documentation review showed that the required written notice regarding the bed hold policy was not present in the resident's chart for any of the transfers. Specifically, there was no evidence of a completed bed hold notification form, no date or time of notification, no name of the person who provided the notification, and no indication of whether the bed hold was accepted or declined. Additionally, there was no signature from the resident or their representative to confirm that the notification was given. The resident involved had a diagnosis of congestive heart failure and was admitted to the facility in 2025. The resident was transferred to the hospital on three occasions, but in each instance, the facility did not provide the required written information about the bed hold policy as outlined in their own policy and federal regulations. Interviews with medical records staff confirmed the absence of proper documentation and notification for each transfer event.
Failure to Provide Bed-Hold Policy Notice
Penalty
Summary
Transitions Healthcare Allens Cove was found to be non-compliant with the federal requirement 42 CFR Part 483 Subpart B, specifically regarding the notice of bed-hold policy. The facility failed to provide written notice of the bed-hold policy to a resident and/or their representative at the time of transfer to a hospital. This deficiency was identified during a review of the facility's policy, clinical records, and staff interviews. The facility's policy mandates that residents be informed of the bed-hold policy upon admission and again at the time of transfer, with the second notice detailing the duration of the bed-hold policy. However, there was no evidence that such notice was provided to Resident 45 during her hospitalizations on two separate occasions. Resident 45, who has a medical history including hypertension and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, was transferred to the hospital on two occasions. Despite the facility's policy requiring written notification of the bed-hold policy at the time of transfer, the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that there was no documentation indicating that Resident 45 or her representative received this notice during her hospitalizations. This oversight was identified during an interview conducted on April 23, 2025.
Plan Of Correction
1. An audit will be conducted on past discharged residents to identify past deficient practice. 2. Any current residents moving forward will have a bed hold policy signed by resident or documentation on bed hold policy that the policy was explained to resident. 3. A copy of the bed hold policy as well as the bed hold agreement will be placed in a binder at the nurse's station. If a resident must be transferred, the facility form will be completed in person or via phone if required, with the original provided to patient or responsible party and a copy to remain in the chart. 4. DON or designee will provide education to nursing staff on the proper procedure for issuing the bed hold notice. 5. DON or designee will audit all transfers three times weekly x 4 weeks, then two times monthly x 2 months to ensure that the proper bed hold policy is initiated and executed. Results will be taken to the QAPI committee for review of findings and further interventions if warranted.
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