Don’t Be Lazy Go Eval Potential Resident’s

Having appropriate residents that your staff can provide the proper care for in your facility is the number one way to stay out of trouble with AHCA. The biggest reason facilities run into major issues is when they accept residents into their facility that the staff can’t handle.

Reasons Inappropriate Residents end up in Facilities.

#1 Reason

Someone from the facility does not go and do a face to face pre-evaluation of the resident.

…or the person doing the evaluation does not know what questions to ask and what red flags to look for.

Let’s look at Some Red Flags

• Was the potential resident in another facility or facility before? If so what were the reasons it didn’t work out?
• Is the rehab or hospital calling you on a Friday and saying the resident is being DC’d today?
• Has the hospital contacted you and offered to pay a month for the resident?
• Does the resident have a good income and for some reason other facilities have passed on admitting them?
• The resident has no medical insurance
• Talk to the direct care staff at the hospital, rehab or other facility and get their input. They will always give you the real scoop.
• Make sure the resident will have coverage or funds to cover the cost of their medications.
• Look into the health care stuff you should be familiar with – make sure the resident has no wounds and medically is appropriate according to what your facility can provide under its license and that your staff can handle the resident.
• Find out if the resident is confused and if they wander.

Too often, facilities get a call from a social worker, get a summary over the phone and review notes faxed to them before accepting the resident. When that resident arrives SURPRISE! You have issues on your hands that range from inappropriate admission to failure to provide proper care and elopements.

We all know it’s a lot easier to admit a resident to your facility than it is to discharge a resident because you must give them 45-days notice.