Failure to Provide Grievance Information and Access to Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide information to residents and their representatives regarding their rights to file grievances or concerns. During a Resident Council meeting, nine residents who had been in the facility for over six months reported that they did not have access to grievance forms, were unaware they could file grievances anonymously, and had never had the grievance procedure discussed during council meetings. These residents also stated they had not seen postings of the grievance procedure in prominent locations and did not know where to acquire a grievance form, who to submit it to, or what the process entailed after filing. Observations confirmed that the facility did not have instructions regarding the grievance procedure posted in prominent locations, and grievance forms were not readily available nor was there a method to submit grievances anonymously. The Administrator, who served as the Grievance Officer, stated that grievance forms were kept in staff offices and residents could not obtain them without asking staff. Staff typically completed the forms for residents, and there was no established procedure for anonymous submissions. The grievance policy, last updated in 2017, required that information on filing grievances be made available to residents, but this was not being implemented as described.