F0842

D

Incomplete Documentation of Hospital Transfer and Return

Rochester, New Hampshire Survey Completed on 01-14-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The facility failed to maintain a complete and accurately documented medical record for one resident related to an episode of left upper extremity (LUE) swelling and subsequent hospital transfer. On 12/8/25 at 11:26 a.m., a progress note by a physician assistant documented that nursing had requested an evaluation for LUE swelling. The assessment indicated new LUE edema, thought most consistent with dependent edema in the setting of severe hypoalbuminemia and the resident sleeping on the left side, but also noted minimal erythema, warmth, slight tenderness, and concern for possible LUE DVT, leading to a decision to transfer the resident emergently to the hospital for a Doppler study. Hospital documentation dated 12/8/25 at 11:02 a.m. showed the resident was seen for a closed fracture of the radial head (elbow fracture) with instructions for orthopedic and family medicine follow-up in two days, arm elevation, and use of ice packs.

Despite this episode of care, the resident’s medical record lacked nursing documentation of when the resident was transferred to the hospital and when they returned. Upon the resident’s return, there was no documentation that the resident was assessed or that the hospital’s recommendations were reviewed or implemented. The only hospital paperwork in the record was the Patient Visit Information summarizing the diagnosis and basic follow-up instructions, with no additional hospital documents present. The DON confirmed there was no nursing documentation regarding the emergency room visit or return on 12/8/25. These omissions were inconsistent with the facility’s Nursing Documentation policy, which requires timely entries specifying patient status, nursing assessments, interventions, and all relevant patient information to be documented or entered in the clinical record following established guidelines.