Failure to Provide Required Written Bed-Hold Notice at Time of Hospital Transfer
Summary
The facility failed to provide a required written Bed-Hold notice to a resident’s responsible party (RP) at the time of the resident’s transfer to a general acute care hospital (GACH). The resident, who had diagnoses including respiratory failure with hypoxia, was originally admitted and later readmitted to the facility, and an H&P dated 2/21/2026 documented that the resident did not have the capacity to understand and make decisions. An MDS dated 3/10/2026 showed the resident was dependent for ADLs such as toileting hygiene, showering/bathing, and bed mobility. The resident was transferred to the GACH for a G-tube replacement, and the discharge summary documented this transfer. Review of the resident’s Bed-hold Informed Consent/Notification Form dated 2/21/2026 showed no indication that a Notice of Bed-hold was provided to the RP after the transfer on 3/10/2026. During interviews, the Business Office Manager stated that the nursing department was responsible for providing the Bed-Hold Notice to residents or their RPs. In a concurrent interview and record review, the DON stated that residents’ beds should be held for seven days when they are transferred to the GACH and that staff would verbally inform RPs about the bed-hold at the time of transfer. The DON also stated she was not aware that written notices should be provided to RPs and acknowledged that, according to the facility’s undated P&P titled “Bed-Holds and Returns,” a written second notice should have been provided to the RP at the time of transfer and that the facility did not follow this P&P. The P&P specified that all residents or representatives are to be provided written information about bed-hold policies at least twice: once in advance of any transfer (e.g., in the admission packet) and a second time at the time of transfer or within 24 hours if the transfer is an emergency.
Plan Of Correction
This Plan of Correction is the facility's credible allegation of compliance. Preparation and/or execution of this plan of correction does not constitute admission or agreement by the provider of the truth or facts alleged, or conclusions set forth in the statement of deficiencies. The plan of correction is prepared and/or executed solely because it is required by the provisions of federal and state law. F0628 Discharge Process How corrective action(s) will be accomplished for those residents found to have been affected by the deficient practice: Resident 3 was immediately reviewed on 03/27/2026 following identification of the deficient practice. The facility verified that the resident was readmitted on 03/25/2026 without loss of bed or services. On 03/25/2026, the party responsible was contacted by the Director of Nursing (DON) and provided re-education regarding the facility's bed-hold policy, including the 7-day bed-hold provision. A written Bed-Hold Notice was issued retroactively and explained to the party responsible, with documentation placed in the medical record. The interdisciplinary team reviewed the discharge and transfer documentation to ensure all required elements were completed. No adverse outcome occurred. How the facility identifies other residents having the potential to be affected by the same deficient practice and what corrective action will be taken. A 12-day look-back audit was conducted by Medical Records Supervisor from 03/14/2026 through 03/26/2026 for residents transferred to the hospital or on therapeutic leave. The audit focused on compliance with written Bed-Hold Notice requirements at the time of transfer. A total of applicable transfer records was reviewed by the DON and Medical Records Supervisor. No additional residents were identified as missing, written Bed-Hold Notices at the time of transfer. All licensed nurses, unit managers, and admissions staff were re-educated on 03/27/2026 by the Development of Staff Development (DSD) on requirements for discharge documentation and bed-hold notification. What measures will be put into place or what systemic changes will the facility make to ensure that the deficient practice does not recur. The facility will reinforce the systemic corrective actions on discharge process to ensure compliance with the requirements for discharge and bed-hold notification. A standardized Bed-Hold Notice process was incorporated into the transfer workflow, requiring completion of a written notice at the time of transfer or within 24 hours for emergency transfers. The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) was re-enforced to include a required field for Bed-Hold Notice documentation. Licensed nurses, admissions staff, and business office personnel were re-educated on 03/27/2026, by DSD to ensure understanding of regulatory requirements and facility expectations. How the facility plans to monitor its performance to make sure that solutions are sustained. To ensure sustained compliance, the facility incorporated privacy and confidentiality monitoring into its Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program. The facility will monitor compliance through a structured audit process integrated into the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program. Weekly audits of randomly selected residents who experienced hospital transfers will be conducted for four consecutive weeks by Medical Records Supervisor from 03/28/2026 through 04/25/2026, followed by monthly audits for three months from May through July 2026. Audits will evaluate the presence, timeliness, and completeness of written Bed-Hold Notices, including documentation in the EMR and notification of the responsible party. Audit results will be reviewed by the Director of Nursing and/or designee and reported to the QAPI Committee monthly. Any identified non-compliance will result in immediate corrective action, including documentation correction, staff re-education, and progressive discipline if indicated. After three months, the QAPI Committee will evaluate audit findings for trends; if no trends are identified, the monitoring process will be discontinued, and if trends persist, corrective actions and monitoring will be extended to ensure sustained compliance. Dates when corrective action will be completed. 4/17/2026
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to Send AD During Hospital Transfer: A resident with anoxic brain injury, pulmonary HTN, and paraplegia was transferred to the hospital after seizure activity and decreased responsiveness. The facility sent the POLST with the transfer paperwork but did not send the resident's AD, which stated a wish to receive artificial nutrition and hydration indefinitely; the POLST instead indicated no decision made for medically assisted nutrition and that an AD was not available. The DON acknowledged the AD was not sent to the receiving hospital.
Missing Written Transfer and Bed-Hold Notices: A resident with severe cognitive impairment and nonverbal status was transferred by ambulance to the ED for labored respirations and a change in LOC. The chart lacked evidence that written transfer and bed-hold notices were sent with the resident or provided to the resident’s representative, and staff stated these notices were not routinely sent with the resident.
A facility failed to notify the Ombudsman of a resident discharge. The resident completed skilled PT/OT, was independent with ADLs, had intact cognition, and was discharged to home/community with a plan to transfer to Assisted Living. The DON and LSW said they did not know the Ombudsman had to be informed of voluntary discharges, and the Ombudsman reported she had only been notified of hospital transfers, not all discharges and transfers as required by policy.
The facility failed to document that necessary resident information was sent with three hospital transfers, including care plan goals, advance directive information, ongoing care instructions, and resident representative information. It also failed to notify two residents or their representatives of the bed-hold policy and failed to notify the State LTC Ombudsman for three hospital transfers. The DON and Regional Director of Clinical Services confirmed the missing documentation and notifications.
A resident admitted for rehab after a short hospital stay, with diagnoses including anemia, CAD, DM, and long-term anticoagulant use, left the facility AMA. The record showed the daughter was present, the PCP was updated, and a MAARC report was filed, but the discharge tracking log did not show that the Ombudsman was notified. The Admin confirmed the facility did not routinely report AMA discharges to the Ombudsman.
Failure to Provide Bed-Hold Notice at Transfer: The facility failed to ensure that written bed-hold policy notice was given to the resident and/or representative at the time of hospital transfer for four residents. The affected residents had diagnoses including dementia, CKD, diabetes, HTN, AFib, anxiety, and depression, and were transferred for issues such as abdominal pain, coughing up blood, altered mental status, elevated BP, UTI, and pneumonia. The NHA confirmed Medicaid residents were not provided bed-hold information upon transfer, and the DON and NHA confirmed the lapse.
Failure to Send Advance Directive During Hospital Transfer
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure appropriate information was provided to the receiving hospital during the transfer of a resident who had an anoxic brain injury, pulmonary hypertension, and paraplegia. The resident was transferred to the hospital on 7/25/26 after seizure activity and altered responsiveness were documented in nursing notes, and the on-call NP directed that the resident be sent to the emergency room for further evaluation. The charge nurse called 911, notified the resident representative, and the resident was transported by ambulance to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. During review of the transfer paperwork, the facility sent the resident's POLST with the hospital transfer but did not send the resident's Advance Directive. The resident's AD, dated 11/24/24, stated that the resident wished to receive artificial nutrition and hydration indefinitely, while the POLST dated 12/30/25 documented medically assisted nutrition as "No decision made (standard of care provided)" and indicated that an advance directive was not available. The DON reviewed the transfer documents and acknowledged that the AD did not get sent to the receiving facility. The facility policy required staff to inform emergency medical personnel of a resident's advance directive and provide a copy of the AD or POLST when transferring the resident, and the transfer/discharge policy required appropriate information to be communicated to the receiving health care institution or provider.
Missing Written Transfer and Bed-Hold Notices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure written transfer notices were provided as soon as practicable for 1 resident who was transferred to the emergency department by ambulance for labored respirations and a change in level of consciousness. The resident had severe cognitive impairment on the comprehensive MDS, was noted in a progress note to sleep most of the time, have a decreased level of consciousness, and be nonverbal, and her daughter was designated as her legal representative. The transfer note documented that verbal consent was obtained by phone from the daughter for a bed hold. A review of the resident’s medical record found no evidence that written transfer and bed-hold notices were sent with the resident to the hospital or provided to the resident’s representative. During interviews, nursing staff stated that paperwork sent with residents included items such as a face sheet, diagnoses, POLST, medications, immunizations, vital signs, and progress notes, and that bed holds were handled on a paper form kept at the facility and scanned into the chart. Staff also stated that written transfer notices and bed-hold forms were not sent with the resident or provided to the resident’s representative, and the DON stated she did not know whether a written transfer notice and/or written bed-hold notice was required to be sent with the resident or provided to the resident’s representative.
Failure to Notify Ombudsman of Resident Discharge
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to notify the ombudsman of 1 of 2 sampled resident discharges involving R49. R49’s accepted discharge MDS assessment dated 6/17/26 identified that he was discharged to his home/community with return not anticipated. The discharge summary dated 6/25/26 stated that after completing skilled PT and OT, R49 was independent with ADLs, his cognition was intact, and the decision was made to transfer him to Assisted Living after discharge. During interviews, RN-D reported that R49 had originally transferred from another facility after hospitalization, was admitted for skilled therapies, and later he and his family decided to discharge to a local Assisted Living facility. The DON and LSW stated they were not aware the ombudsman had to be informed when residents voluntarily discharged to the community and therefore had not done so. The Ombudsman reported she had only been informed of residents going to the hospital and stated she should have been notified of all resident discharges and transfers regardless of destination. The administrator stated she was not aware that appropriate notifications of transfers or discharges were not being provided to the Ombudsman. The facility’s January 15, 2026 Discharge and Transfer policy stated that when a resident was transferred or discharged, the location must send a notification to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
Failure to Communicate Transfer Information and Notify of Bed-Hold and Ombudsman
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that necessary resident information was communicated to the receiving health care provider for three of five residents sampled with facility-initiated transfers. For Residents R4, R10, and R72, the clinical record did not show documentation that the facility sent specific information to the acute hospital, including care plan goals, advance directive information, specific instructions for ongoing care, resident representative information, and other information needed to meet the resident’s specific needs at the receiving facility. Staff interviews confirmed that the resident information sent with these transfers was not documented. The facility also failed to notify the resident or the resident’s representative of the bed-hold policy for two hospital transfers, Residents R4 and R10, and failed to notify the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman for three hospital transfers, Residents R4, R10, and R72. Resident R4 had diagnoses including diabetes, depression, and multiple sclerosis and was transferred to the hospital and later returned to the facility. Resident R10 had diagnoses including diabetes, cerebral infarction, and depression and was also transferred to the hospital and returned. Resident R72 had diagnoses including high blood pressure, chronic pain, and COPD and was transferred to the hospital and returned the same day. The DON and Regional Director of Clinical Services confirmed the missing documentation and the lack of Ombudsman notification.
Failure to Notify Ombudsman of Resident AMA Discharge
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to notify the Ombudsman of a resident transfer/discharge for 1 of 2 residents reviewed for Ombudsman notification. The resident was admitted for rehabilitation after a short hospital stay and had diagnoses including anemia, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and long-term use of anti-coagulants. The medical record showed an admission MDS dated [DATE], an Entry Tracking record dated 6/22/2026, and a PPS-Discharge Assessment marked return not anticipated. Progress notes documented that the resident left the facility against medical advice at 2:00 p.m., with the daughter present and the primary care provider updated, and that a MAARC report was filed later that day. Review of the May and June discharge tracking log did not identify that the Ombudsman had been notified of the resident's transfer/discharge, and the Administrator confirmed during interview that the facility did not routinely report residents who left AMA to the Office of the Ombudsman and that the Ombudsman was not notified when this resident left.
Failure to Provide Bed-Hold Notice at Transfer
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the resident and/or the resident representative received written notice of the facility bed-hold policy at the time of transfer for four of eight residents reviewed for hospitalization. Federal regulation S483.15(d) requires facilities to provide written information about bed-hold policies prior to and upon transfer, and the facility policy stated that residents are to receive this information well in advance of transfer and again at the time of transfer, or within 24 hours for an emergency transfer. Review of the clinical records for Residents R9, R58, R62, and R98 failed to reveal documentation that the written bed-hold notice was provided upon transfer to the hospital. Resident R9 had diagnoses of diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, and dementia, with severe cognitive impairment, and was transferred to the hospital for abdominal pain. Resident R58 had diagnoses of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and dementia, with severe cognitive impairment, and was transferred for coughing up blood. Resident R62 had diagnoses of atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and high blood pressure, and was transferred for increased altered mental status and elevated blood pressure. Resident R98 had diagnoses of anxiety, depression, and dementia, and was transferred and admitted to the hospital for a urinary tract infection and pneumonia. The Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that residents with Medicaid as a payer source were not provided bed-hold information upon transfer to the hospital, and the DON and Nursing Home Administrator confirmed the facility failed to ensure the required written notice was provided.
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