Failure to Ensure Timely and Private Mail Delivery to Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents had reasonable access to and privacy in their use of communication methods, specifically regarding the delivery of mail. During a confidential resident group meeting, all nine residents reported that they did not receive mail on Saturdays because the Business Office was not operational on weekends, despite the presence of a receptionist. Interviews with the Receptionist and Business Office Manager confirmed that while the Receptionist worked weekends and delivered packages, regular mail was left in the Business Office to be sorted and was not consistently distributed to residents on Saturdays. The Business Office Manager stated that mail delivered on Saturdays should be distributed the same day, but this was not consistently happening, resulting in residents not receiving their mail in a timely manner.