Failure to Notify MPOA and Responsible Parties of Appointments and Changes in Condition
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to notify the Medical Power of Attorney (MPOA) of a resident's scheduled dermatology appointment and did not document this notification in the medical record. The MPOA only became aware of the appointment after being contacted by the doctor's office for treatment permission. A grievance was filed by the MPOA regarding the lack of notification, and review of the medical record confirmed there was no documentation indicating the MPOA was informed of the new appointment. Staff interviews confirmed that notification should be documented in the medical record, but no such documentation was found for this event. The resident involved lacked capacity due to dementia and had a DNR order with limited interventions. Additionally, the facility failed to notify the physician and responsible party of a change in condition for another resident who underwent a CT scan. There was no documentation in the electronic medical chart indicating that the physician, resident, or responsible party had been notified of the results. Staff confirmed the absence of documentation for these notifications. The facility's policy requires notification of changes in condition, but this was not followed in these instances.