Nursing Home Rules Pertaining to Change in Resident Health

Pursuant to Minnesota Administrative Rules 4658.0085 NOTIFICATION OF CHANGE IN RESIDENT HEALTH STATUS, a nursing home must develop and implement policies to guide staff decisions to consult physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, and if known, notify the resident’s legal representative or an interested family member of a resident’s acute illness, serious accident, or death. At a minimum, the director of nursing services, and the medical director or an attending physician must be involved in the development of these policies. The policies must have criteria which address at least the appropriate notification times for:

A. an accident involving the resident which results in injury and has the potential for requiring physician intervention;

B. a significant change in the resident’s physical, mental, or psychosocial status, for example, a deterioration in health, mental, or psychosocial status in either life-threatening conditions or clinical complications;

C. a need to alter treatment significantly, for example, a need to discontinue an existing form of treatment due to adverse consequences, or to begin a new form of treatment;

D. a decision to transfer or discharge the resident from the nursing home; or

E. expected and unexpected resident deaths.

Common areas of cases I see include:  Falls from Beds, Hoyer Lifts and in the Bathroom; Sexual Abuse; Medication Errors and Other Injuries.  STOP ELDER ABUSE AND NEGLECT!

For more information about nursing home licensing requirements or other questions about elder abuse and neglect contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Kenneth LaBore for a free consultation at 612-743-9048 or by email at KLaBore@MNnursinghomeneglect.com.