Failure to Timely Provide Medical Records to Resident's Responsible Party
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide copies of a resident's medical records to the resident's Responsible Party (RP) within 2 working days after a formal request was made. The RP, who was also the Power of Attorney, began requesting the records from the Medical Records Director several months prior to the resident's death, but the records were not provided despite repeated assurances. The RP eventually engaged legal assistance and submitted a signed consent for the records, but the Medical Records Director delayed mailing the records, believing that a 90-day timeframe applied since the resident was no longer at the facility. Interviews with facility staff, including the Medical Records Director, prior Administrator, and current Administrator, confirmed that the request was received and not fulfilled within the required 2 working days. The Senior Nurse Consultant acknowledged that not providing the records within this timeframe was a problem. The deficiency was identified for one resident who had expired, and the delay in providing records was attributed to a misunderstanding of the required timeframe for record release after discharge or death.