Failure to Assist Resident in Accessing Audiology Services
Penalty
Summary
A resident with multiple medical diagnoses, including COPD, dementia, generalized anxiety disorder, and hearing difficulties, repeatedly requested assistance from facility staff to see an audiologist. Despite these requests, and a formal grievance submitted by the ombudsman in May, there was no documentation that the facility assisted the resident in making an appointment with an audiologist or that the resident had seen one as of early September. The resident's electronic medical record and Minimum Data Set indicated moderate cognitive impairment and a need for supervision with most activities of daily living. Facility records show that the ombudsman submitted the resident's grievance to the administrator, and a registered nurse communicated the need for an audiology referral to the social services director in June. The nurse also contacted the insurance case manager to obtain a list of providers, including an audiologist. However, there was no evidence that staff followed up on the provider list or facilitated an appointment. The lack of follow-through resulted in the resident not receiving the requested audiology services over several months.