Failure to Provide Required Transfer and Bed-Hold Notices with Ombudsman and Appeal Information
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to provide the required documentation and notifications during resident transfers to the hospital. Specifically, transfer and bed-hold notices for multiple residents did not include the email address for the state agency, the facility, or the contact information for the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Additionally, the notices lacked information on how to contact the Ombudsman, and the required notifications were not sent to a representative of the Ombudsman office. This deficiency was observed in the records of four out of five residents reviewed for hospitalizations. Interviews with facility staff, including the Nursing Home Administrator and Social Worker, revealed a lack of awareness regarding the requirement to include Ombudsman contact information and to notify the Ombudsman during transfers, not just discharges. The facility also did not have a specific policy or procedure addressing transfer notice requirements. The documentation reviewed consistently omitted the necessary appeal contact emails and Ombudsman details, and staff confirmed that these notifications were not being completed as required.