Failure to Involve Resident in Choice of Attending Physician
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor a resident's right to choose an attending physician when changing medical providers. A cognitively intact resident with diagnoses including Diabetes Mellitus and ESRD on hemodialysis was admitted with functional limitations requiring varying levels of staff assistance for ADLs such as bathing, dressing, toileting hygiene, and footwear. The resident’s admission record and MDS confirmed intact decision-making abilities. When the initially assigned attending physician stopped responding to calls from facility and pharmacy staff regarding the resident’s care, the facility did not engage the resident in selecting a new physician. Instead, the DON reported that the issue with the non-responsive attending physician was communicated to the Medical Director, who then assumed care of the resident, as reflected in an order summary documenting transfer of care from the first physician to the Medical Director. The DON stated that the resident was informed of the change in physician but was not involved in choosing the replacement provider. This process did not align with the facility’s own policies on Informed Consents and Physician Services, which state that residents have the right to make informed decisions about their care and that physicians are responsible for supervising medical care, including responding when contacted by the facility.
We Help Long-Term Care Teams Stay Survey-Ready
We process and analyze inspection reports and plan of correction using AI to extract insights and trends so providers can improve care quality and stay ahead of compliance risks.