Failure to Provide Required 30-Day Discharge Notices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a required 30-day written notice of discharge to two residents who were being discharged from the facility. In the first case, the Social Services Director (SSD) attempted to issue a Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage (NOMNC) to the resident's family, indicating the end of Medicare Part A coverage and a planned discharge date. However, the family declined to sign the NOMNC, and the SSD explained that the facility could not provide hospice care. Despite this, there was no documentation that a 30-day written discharge notice, including the reason for discharge, was provided to the resident or their representative. The resident's representative confirmed that they did not receive such notice and only received the NOMNC, which was confusing as the resident still had Medicare days remaining. The SSD and DON both confirmed that the discharge was initiated by the facility due to the need for hospice care, not by the family, and that the required 30-day notice was not issued. In the second case, the SSD documented issuing a NOMNC to the family of another resident, with services ending shortly thereafter and a discharge to the community planned. The family appealed the NOMNC, but there was no evidence in the medical record that a 30-day discharge notice was provided to the resident's representative. Interviews with the NHA, DON, and SSD confirmed that the resident was discharged because it was determined they would benefit from a memory care unit, and that only the NOMNC was issued, not the required 30-day discharge notice. These findings were reviewed with facility leadership.