Grievance Policy Posting Deficiency
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the grievance policy was prominently posted throughout the facility, as required by regulations. Observations revealed that from the second to the sixth floor nursing units, the grievance policy was not displayed, and there was no information on how to file grievances anonymously. Additionally, the postings did not include the necessary contact information for the grievance officer, such as their business address, email, and phone number. Interviews with residents and staff further highlighted the deficiency. During a resident group meeting, residents expressed that they were unaware of the grievance policy and the procedure for filing grievances anonymously. This lack of awareness among residents indicates that the facility did not effectively communicate the grievance process to them. The Director of Social Services confirmed the facility's failure to post the grievance policy prominently and to include all required information. This oversight affected all five nursing units, as none had the necessary postings or information available to residents, which is a violation of the residents' rights to voice grievances without fear of reprisal.
Plan Of Correction
Residents will be educated on the facility Grievance Policy in writing and at the monthly Resident Council meeting by the Grievance Coordinator (Social Worker). The education will include the locations of the posted Grievance Policy, the process to file an anonymous grievance, the location of grievance forms and drop-off locations, and the name of the grievance coordinator along with his/her name, business phone number, business address and email address. The administrator will ensure that the Grievance Policy is posted on each nursing unit with the grievance forms, drop-off box, the name of the grievance coordinator along with a business phone number, business address, and email address. Social Workers will be educated by the Administrator on the Grievance Policy, where it needs to be posted along with the grievance forms, drop-off boxes, and the posting indicating how to reach the Grievance Coordinator (Social Worker) via letter, phone and email. On a daily basis, the Grievance Coordinator will audit each location to ensure the grievance policy and grievance coordinator information remains posted when he/she is collecting completed grievance forms from the drop-off box.