Failure to Provide Appropriate Transportation for Medical Appointments
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure appropriate transportation for a resident requiring outside medical appointments, specifically for follow-up care related to diabetes with neuropathy, hemiparesis, and pain management. The resident, who was dependent on staff for activities of daily living and used a wheelchair, missed multiple appointments with Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) for evaluation and possible Botox injections due to pain and contractions. Documentation showed that transportation arranged by the facility was either not suitable for the resident's wheelchair or did not arrive as scheduled, resulting in several missed and rescheduled appointments. Interviews with the resident's family, PMR staff, and the Director of Nursing confirmed that the resident missed at least three appointments because transportation was either unavailable or inadequate. The facility's own policy required working with residents and families to secure appropriate transportation for off-site appointments, but there was no documentation explaining why some appointments were missed. The deficiency was identified through review of medical records, staff and family interviews, and policy review, affecting one resident out of three reviewed for outside medical appointments.