Failure to Implement Grievance Process After Resident Complaint
Penalty
Summary
A resident reported having a conflict with a newly assigned Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), describing the CNA as having a bad attitude and being rude. The resident communicated their concerns to the Unit Manager and requested that the CNA no longer be assigned to their care. The Unit Manager confirmed receiving the complaint and assured the resident that the CNA would not be assigned to them again. However, the CNA was subsequently assigned to the resident's care on a later night shift. The resident was not assisted in filling out a grievance form, and no documentation of the complaint was found in the facility's records. Interviews with facility staff, including the Unit Manager and Administrator, confirmed that the grievance process was not followed as required by facility policy. The policy states that staff should encourage and assist residents in filing written grievances and that all concerns, whether oral or written, should be actively resolved. Despite this, the resident's complaint was neither documented nor formally addressed through the established grievance process.