Failure to Update POA Contact Information in Resident Record
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to periodically update and maintain accurate contact information for a resident's power of attorney (POA). Specifically, after a change in POA from the resident's daughter to her son, the facility did not obtain or enter the new POA's phone number into the electronic medical record (EMR). Staff interviews confirmed that neither the social service director (SSD) nor the registered nurse (RN) could locate the POA's contact information in the EMR. The SSD, who had recently started working at the facility, stated she would have to use outdated contact information for the former POA in the event of an emergency. The RN also indicated she would have attempted to contact other family members due to the missing information. The deficiency was further substantiated by the nursing home administrator (NHA) and the director of nursing (DON), who both confirmed the absence of the POA's phone number in the EMR. The NHA recalled that the omission likely occurred when the new POA paperwork was processed, and the staff member responsible for medical records was unable to locate the updated contact information. The MDS coordinator emphasized the importance of having current POA contact details for emergency situations and noted that the oversight may have been due to the SSD's recent hire and unfamiliarity with her responsibilities regarding updating resident records.