The facility's business office manager admitted she failed to request a replacement check after the original refund was returned due to an address error in August.
Resident #165 was discharged on April 11 to another skilled nursing facility. The resident had paid privately for care and was owed approximately $1,700, according to the resident's durable power of attorney.
During a November 18 phone interview with federal inspectors, the power of attorney said she contacted the facility's business office manager during the week of April 11 and was told she would receive a refund. By November 18, no money had arrived.
"She was mad she had to wait so long for the reimbursement," inspectors wrote. The power of attorney said the facility was "giving her the run around."
The business office manager told inspectors on November 19 that the family hadn't received their $1,730 refund for two reasons. First, the facility's policy required collecting all outstanding insurance payments before issuing refunds. Those claims were completed during the week of June 27, and a refund check was issued July 9.
Second, the check was returned to the facility during the week of August 11 due to a mailing address error.
The business office manager said she hadn't requested a new refund check due to "an oversight." She acknowledged she should have notified the corporate office about the address error and requested another refund.
A director of office services confirmed the facility's policy required refunds within 30 days of discharge once all insurance payments were received. He verified the last insurance payment arrived June 27 and the business office manager requested the refund July 9.
The director said he didn't learn about the returned check until November and hadn't received corrected address information from the business office manager. No second check had been sent.
Federal regulations require nursing homes to provide residents notice of potential liability for services and handle financial matters appropriately. The facility violated these requirements by failing to transfer the refund within required timeframes.
The administrator told inspectors on November 20 that the resident's representative should have received a refund per federal regulations.
The inspection found the facility failed to properly handle the financial transaction for one of three residents reviewed for deposit refunds. Inspectors classified the violation as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm.
The case illustrates how administrative oversights can leave families waiting months for money they're owed after nursing home stays. While the facility eventually issued the initial refund check in July, the failure to follow up on the returned check left the family without their money for an additional four months.
The resident's power of attorney expressed frustration with the prolonged delay and what she perceived as evasive responses from facility staff when she inquired about the missing refund.
Federal inspectors completed their review on November 21, more than seven months after the resident's discharge. The facility must submit a plan of correction to address the deficiency and ensure proper handling of future refunds.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Oxford Health and Rehabilitation Center from 2025-11-21 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
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