Failure to Provide Anonymous Grievance Submission Process and Readily Available Forms
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement a policy and procedure that allowed residents to submit written grievances anonymously, did not provide residents with readily available grievance forms, and did not offer a secure receptacle for anonymous grievance submission. During an observation, no documentation was found in the common areas regarding how residents could file a grievance, and no grievance forms or secure submission boxes were present. Staff interviews confirmed that grievance forms were kept in a staff office and not accessible to residents in the common areas, and that there was no secure method for anonymous submission. A resident interviewed was unaware of the location of grievance forms or the process for submitting an anonymous grievance, stating she would typically inform staff of any issues. Review of the facility's grievance policy indicated that forms should be available adjacent to the Resident Rights posting and that grievances could be submitted anonymously via a compliance hotline, but these procedures were not observed in practice during the survey.