Failure to Notify Responsible Party of Hospital Transfers
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to notify the responsible party of a resident regarding two separate hospital transfers related to urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms and changes in condition. The resident, admitted with a UTI diagnosis, experienced a change in mental status, abdominal pain, and inability to urinate, leading to an emergency department transfer on one occasion. On another occasion, the same resident reported ongoing abdominal pain and was again transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. In both instances, there was no documentation in the clinical record that the resident's representative was notified of the hospital transfers. The Director of Nursing Services confirmed that families were supposed to be notified but acknowledged that notification did not occur in these cases.