Failure to Provide Written Notice and Opportunity Prior to Resident Room Changes
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide written notice to residents prior to making room changes, including the reasons for the change, and did not offer residents the opportunity to visit their new rooms before relocation. Two residents were affected by this deficiency. One resident, who had been living in her room for over two years, was informed verbally by the administrator that she would need to pay an additional monthly charge to remain in her private room. Unable to afford the charge, the resident and her family attempted to resolve the issue with facility administration and the regional director, but received no written communication or invoices regarding the new charges or the policy change. The resident was subsequently told by a social worker that she would be moved to a semi-private room immediately due to non-payment, without prior written notice or opportunity to visit the new room. Another resident was similarly informed verbally that she would need to pay an extra fee to remain in her private room or be moved to a semi-private room. While the resident was at lunch, staff moved her belongings to a new room without her knowledge or consent. The new room did not accommodate her wheelchair, causing her difficulty until she was later moved to a more suitable room. The resident and her daughter both reported that they did not receive any written notification, invoices, or explanations regarding the extra charges or the facility's policy for room changes. Interviews with facility staff confirmed that the decision to begin charging for private rooms was made by the administrator and that residents were only verbally notified of the change. No written notifications were provided to the affected residents, and the process for billing and room changes was handled without documented communication. The interim administrator, who was new to the facility, was unaware of these actions and confirmed that no further residents had been moved since the previous administrator's departure.