Failure to Identify Grievance Official and Provide Written Grievance Responses
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to properly identify a Grievance Official in its grievance policy and did not ensure that grievances were followed up with written responses. A review of the facility's grievance policy revealed that it listed placeholders such as 'Name and Title' and 'List contact information' instead of specifying the actual grievance officer's name and contact details. The policy defined the role of the Grievance Official but did not provide the required identifying information. During interviews, the Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) confirmed that she was the grievance officer, but acknowledged that the policy did not reflect this information. Additionally, a review of five grievance investigations from February 2025 showed that none documented who completed the investigations, when they were completed, or whether written decisions were provided to residents. The NHA confirmed that residents only received verbal follow-up regarding their grievances and that written responses were not provided. No further evidence was provided to demonstrate compliance with the requirement for written grievance decisions.