Failure to Employ Qualified Full-Time Social Worker
Penalty
Summary
The facility, with a licensed capacity of 150 beds, failed to employ a qualified full-time social worker from 6/25/25 to 8/30/25. Record review confirmed that the previous social worker was terminated on 6/25/25, and no replacement was hired during the period under review. Interviews with the Assistant Directors of Nursing (ADONs) and the Director of Nursing (DON) revealed that, in the absence of a social worker, social services duties such as arranging dental, podiatry, and vision appointments were managed by the ADONs, MDS nurse, Administrator, and DON. The DON also handled discharge planning, home health arrangements, and medication coordination for discharged residents. The facility's job description for the Social Services Director specifies responsibility for planning, organizing, developing, and directing the overall operation of the Social Services Department in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Despite these requirements, the facility did not have a qualified full-time social worker on staff during the specified period, and social services responsibilities were distributed among other staff members.