Failure to Inform Resident of Grievance Status
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to follow its grievance policy by not keeping a resident informed about the status of a grievance. The resident, who had diagnoses including acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia, hemiplegia, cerebral infarction, dysphagia, and Raynaud's syndrome, reported frustration over a complaint involving a certified nursing assistant (CNA). The resident stated that while staff were aware of the complaint and had reported it, no one from administration interviewed them or provided any follow-up information regarding the outcome of the grievance. Interviews with facility staff revealed that the Director of Nursing was informed of the incident and that the administrator categorized it as a customer service issue, resulting in a staff in-service and a temporary suspension for the CNA involved. However, staff acknowledged that the resident was not spoken to about the investigation or informed of the resolution. The facility's grievance policy requires prompt acknowledgment and a timely written response to grievances, which was not provided in this case.