Failure to Provide Needed Social Services, Abuse-Related Support, and Discharge Planning
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide medically related social services to residents who required assistance with outside services and psychosocial support. Resident council minutes from late 2025 showed residents asking when a social worker would be available, and later notes indicated that a part‑time social worker was only in the facility a few days a week, with the LNHA, DON, and ADON expected to help if residents needed anything. At the time of survey, the LNHA reported that the part‑time social worker had left about two weeks earlier and that there was no current social worker in place, despite the facility’s own job description stating that the social worker is responsible for ensuring residents’ medically related emotional and social needs are met. One resident with dementia, muscle weakness, and dependence on staff for transfers reported back pain and requested to return to bed. An insurance case worker later reported that a CNA had been rough with this resident during the transfer, and the CNA was suspended pending investigation. Facility policy required that, when abuse is reported, the LNHA or designee request that social services monitor the resident’s psychosocial status in response to the incident and investigation. However, the documentation related to this incident did not show that social services monitored the resident’s psychosocial status, and the LNHA confirmed that the resident was not seen by social services after the abuse allegation. Another resident with intact cognition, multiple complications of Type 1 diabetes, an amputation, and generalized weakness had expressed a desire to leave the facility and live in the community. This resident requested assistance from a social worker for obtaining a phone and community housing and reported having asked for such help since September 2025. A grievance documented that the Regional Admissions Director, rather than social services, met with the resident and provided some contact information, but the resident stated that the corporate social worker gave incorrect resource information and forms the resident could not complete due to neuropathy, and the resident was not comfortable having other staff complete them. A third resident, also cognitively intact and with significant medical conditions and a stated goal of community discharge, reported that the discharge process was difficult and that they could not speak to the proper people to arrange discharge. The resident’s family member stated there was no meeting with family or discussion with a social worker about discharge, and that family had to handle most discharge arrangements, while no social services progress notes related to discharge planning were provided.
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