Failure to Provide Access to Anonymous Grievance Submission
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide residents with adequate access to grievance forms and the ability to file grievances anonymously, as required by its own policy and regulatory standards. On the third floor, grievance forms were not available on the bulletin board, and staff had to retrieve them from a locked nurse's station. On all three units observed, there was no designated box or folder for residents to submit grievances anonymously. Residents interviewed were unsure how to file a grievance, including how to do so anonymously. Observations on the first and second floors revealed that while grievance forms were present, instructions directed residents to return completed forms to staff members, with no option for anonymous submission. Staff interviews further confirmed a lack of clarity regarding the process for anonymous grievance submission. Nurse aides and social workers indicated that grievances could be handed to staff or brought to Human Resources, but did not identify a method for anonymous submission. The Nursing Home Administrator and social worker both described processes that involved direct contact with staff, rather than a secure, anonymous method. These findings demonstrate that the facility did not ensure residents' rights to voice grievances without fear of reprisal or discrimination, and did not provide the means for anonymous written grievances as outlined in facility policy.