Failure to Provide Required 30-Day Physician Visits for Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents received their required 30-day physician visits, as mandated by facility policy and federal regulations. For one resident with Alzheimer's dementia, anxiety, dyskinesia of the esophagus, and high blood pressure, there was no documentation of a physician visit within 30 days of admission. The first documented physician visit occurred 60 days after admission, during which the resident had already experienced a 7.14% weight loss and required new nutritional orders. Both the Director of Nursing (DON) and the Regional Nurse Consultant (RNC) confirmed the absence of the required 30-day physician visit for this resident. Another resident, admitted with a documented initial physician visit, did not receive the subsequent required 30-day follow-up visit. The medical record showed a gap between the initial visit and the next documented physician encounter, which did not occur until 60 days after the previous visit. Interviews with the DON and RNC confirmed that the required 30-day physician visit was not completed for this resident as well. These lapses prevented timely physician assessments necessary for developing and updating comprehensive care plans, verifying orders, and prescribing appropriate treatments.