Failure to Coordinate Hospice Services in Resident Care Plans
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper coordination of hospice services with facility services for two residents who had been admitted to hospice care. Review of the facility's hospice care policy indicated that the resident's written plan of care should include both the most recent hospice plan of care and a description of the services provided by the facility, including contact information for the hospice agency and instructions on accessing the hospice's 24-hour on-call system. However, for both residents, the comprehensive care plans did not include this required information. One resident had diagnoses of anemia, dementia, and dysphagia, and had a physician order for hospice admission. Another resident had diagnoses of high blood pressure, dementia, and anxiety, and was also admitted to hospice care with a terminal diagnosis of neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies. In both cases, the care plans lacked documentation of hospice agency contact information and access instructions for the hospice's 24-hour on-call system. This deficiency was confirmed by a social worker during an interview.