Every finding on record at Agape Hospice Care of Cherokee County, LLC

Based on clinical record review, review of policy titled “Professional Boundaries,” and staff and family interviews, it was determined the agency failed to obtain consent from family member of patient prior to taking patient out of facility for one patient (P) (P#1) of three sampled patients. --- The findings include: Review of policy titled “Professional Boundaries,” effective March 2013, reveals the following:Policy: Employees of (facility) work very closely with patients and their families during end-of-life care. Facility employees will maintain professionalism. Review of chaplains’ note dated 5/6/2025 at 8:09 AM reveals that chaplain (CH) AA failed to obtain consent from P#1’s family before he took the patient out for a car ride. On 5/12/25 at 2:00 p.m., an interview was conducted with CH AA. The CH AA said it was a mistake that he did not obtain consent from the P#1’s family before he took P#1 out. On 5/13/25 at 12:45 p.m., an interview was conducted with Director of Clinical Operation (DCO) BB, who said that the staff of the memory care where the patient was living, called her and reported what the CH AA did. The DCO BB called the CH AA and investigated the incident. The DCO BB said that she called the P#1’s family, and they were terribly upset, because the CH AA did not get permission from them before he took the P#1 out for a car ride. On 5/13/25 at 6:00 p.m., an interview was conducted with the P#1’s family member. She verbalized her concern that the CH AA took her mother out for a car ride without their consent. She also said that her brother was upset and immediately removed their mother from their agency and placed her in another hospice agency.