HospitalInspections.org

Based on an onsite survey which included a review of policies and procedures, the patient admission packet, interviews, and review of resident records, it is revealed that for 10 of 10 patients medical records reviewed the hospital had not addressed all the additional rights requirements for swing bed patients.

The hospital consists of an 8-bed, rural, acute care setting. Swing-bed stays at the hospital are relatively short, ranging on average, about 5 days. The hospital has a rights package that is adequate to inform an acute care patient of his/ her rights. However, this same package is given to swing-bad residents, and as stated, does not cover all the rights of the swing-bed resident. No rights information specific to swing-bed residents were found.

A review of the resident records revealed that there was no differentiation in the rights for patients with acute stay patient rights and rights specific to swing-bed patients including the rights to:
(a) Be informed of the rights and responsibilities of the swing-bed resident,
(b) Choose a personal attending physician,
(c) Work or not work,
(d) Have privacy sending and receiving mail with access to stationary, postage and writing implements at the resident ' s own expense,
(e) The right to retain the use of personal items, including some furnishings, with investigation of losses.
(f) The right to share a room with his or her spouse when married residents live in the same facility,
(g) Notice before transfer
(h) Timing of the notice, and

Further, resident #2 was not informed of her rights. Resident #2 was the only swing-bed resident during survey. On interview, it was determined that she could not remember receiving information of her rights, nor was a rights package found in her room. Staff track rights packages given to residents and patients by way of housekeeping forms which checks off criteria for room readiness. On the tracking sheet is a box to indicate if a rights package is placed in the room. The tracking sheet revealed that no rights package was placed in the room on 8/2/2010 when the room was cleaned.