Failure to Provide Written Bed-Hold Policy and Transfer Reason at Hospitalization
Penalty
Summary
A review of the clinical record and staff interviews revealed that the facility failed to provide a resident and their representative with written notice of the facility's bed-hold policy at the time of a facility-initiated transfer to the hospital. Specifically, after the resident experienced a fall and was transferred to the emergency room for evaluation, there was no documented evidence that the required written notice regarding the bed-hold policy—including information about the duration of the bed-hold, bed hold reserve payment, and the right to return to a bed at the facility—was given to the resident or their representative. Additionally, the clinical record lacked documentation that the resident and their representative were provided with the reason for the transfer in writing and in a language and manner they could understand. An interview with the social worker confirmed that these notifications were not provided and that there was no system in place to ensure compliance with these requirements at the time of a facility-initiated transfer.