Failure to Provide Accessible Grievance Forms to Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide residents with accessible grievance forms in three of eight identified areas, as required by their own grievance policy. According to the policy, concern forms and boxes should be available in designated locations throughout the facility. However, during a resident group meeting, multiple residents reported that they could not file grievances anonymously because they had to request blank forms from staff, which were kept behind the nurse's station and out of reach, especially for those who use wheelchairs. Observations confirmed that on three units, locked grievance boxes were present in hallways, but no blank grievance forms were available nearby or in prominent, accessible locations. Staff interviews corroborated that blank grievance forms were stored behind the nurses' station or in locations inaccessible to residents, with one staff member noting that a bin for forms had been removed due to resident behavior and had not been replaced. The Nursing Home Administrator acknowledged that while bins were intended to be accessible, issues with resident behavior had led to their removal, and forms remained out of reach for residents. These findings demonstrate that the facility did not ensure residents' access to grievance forms as required by policy and regulation.