Failure to Arrange Transportation Results in Missed Medical Appointment
Penalty
Summary
A resident who was cognitively intact and able to communicate was admitted to the facility and had a neurology appointment scheduled for diagnostic testing to determine the cause of their inability to walk. The resident was expecting a nerve conduction test on their lower spine, which had been promised upon admission. However, transportation for the appointment was not arranged by the facility, resulting in the cancellation of the appointment. The resident was not informed by the facility about the cancellation and only discovered it by checking their own email. Staff responsible for transportation acknowledged that the failure to schedule transportation was an error on their part, which led to the missed appointment. The resident expressed significant distress and frustration over the delay, having already waited a month for the appointment and now facing an additional month’s wait due to the rescheduling. The DON confirmed that missing the appointment due to lack of transportation did not meet facility expectations.