Failure to Address and Resolve Resident Grievances Regarding Care and Meal Distribution
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adequately address and resolve ongoing resident complaints and grievances raised during Resident Council meetings, specifically regarding long wait times for care and delayed meal distribution. Despite multiple residents consistently voicing these concerns over several months, meeting minutes indicated that grievances were to be filed on their behalf, but a review of facility records revealed no documentation of such grievances being filed for the relevant periods. Residents reported that their requests for assistance were not responded to in a timely manner and that meal trays, although arriving on time, were left sitting for extended periods before being distributed, resulting in cold food. These issues were repeatedly marked as unresolved in the Resident Council meeting minutes. Interviews with residents confirmed that these problems persisted despite being brought up multiple times, and the Nursing Home Administrator was unable to provide evidence of any effective actions taken to resolve the concerns. The administrator also could not explain the lack of grievance documentation or demonstrate any follow-up or communication with residents regarding the status of their complaints. The facility's own policy requires prompt efforts to resolve grievances and to keep residents informed of progress, but these procedures were not followed, resulting in continued dissatisfaction and unresolved issues for the affected residents.