Delay in Honoring Resident's Request for Emergency Room Transfer
Penalty
Summary
A resident with a diagnosis of constipation reported experiencing stomach pain and repeatedly requested to be sent to the emergency room, beginning early in the morning. The resident informed a CNA multiple times to notify the nurse, but the LPN did not enter the resident's room until approximately two hours later. Upon being seen, the resident again requested to go to the hospital, but the nurse explained that a physician's order was required and that obtaining it could take time. The resident was not transferred to the emergency room until later that afternoon, several hours after the initial request. The facility's own statement of resident rights affirms that residents have the right to exercise their rights, including the right to prompt medical attention, and the medical director confirmed that residents requesting transfer to the emergency room should be sent and the physician notified afterward.