Failure to Follow Required Discharge Procedures and Readmit Resident After Hospitalization
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to permit a resident to remain in the facility and did not follow required transfer/discharge procedures. The resident, an older adult male with diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, asthma, and adjustment disorder, was admitted to the secured unit due to wandering and poor safety awareness. On the date of the incident, the resident became upset, attempted to leave the secured unit, and damaged the door. Police and EMS were called, and the resident was transported to the hospital for evaluation. The resident was medically and psychiatrically cleared for return to the facility, but the administrator refused to readmit him due to his behaviors. The facility did not provide a 30-day discharge notice to the resident's responsible party or the local ombudsman, as required by policy and regulation. Interviews with staff, including the HSW, BOM, LVN, and DON, confirmed that the resident was not allowed to return after hospital clearance, and that the responsible party was informed only after the resident was sent out. The responsible party was not given the opportunity to participate in finding alternative placement, and the resident remained at the hospital until transfer to another facility was arranged. The administrator acknowledged that a 30-day discharge notice was not provided and that this was expected practice. The facility's policy states that residents should not be transferred or discharged except in limited circumstances, and that proper notice must be given. The lack of notice and refusal to readmit the resident after hospital clearance constituted a failure to meet discharge requirements and ensure a safe and appropriate transition for the resident.