Failure to Provide Required Transfer/Discharge Notices and Hospital Reports
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide required written notices to residents and/or their representatives at the time of transfer or discharge for four residents, and did not ensure that a report was given to the receiving hospital for two residents. In several cases, staff completed the Nursing Home Transfer or Discharge Notice and sent it to the Long Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) office, but did not provide the notice directly to the resident or their representative as required. Staff interviews confirmed that the notices were not given to residents unless they were being discharged to the community, and that notifications to the LTCO were sent in batches rather than at the time of transfer. Additionally, for two residents who were transferred to the hospital, there was no documentation that a report on the resident's condition was provided to the receiving hospital. Facility forms intended to document this communication were left blank, and staff acknowledged that it was their expectation for such reports to be given and documented, but this was not done. These failures were identified through interviews and record reviews, and were not in accordance with facility policy or regulatory requirements.