Residents' Rights to Invite Guests to Council Meetings Not Honored
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor residents' rights to organize and participate in resident or family groups by not allowing resident-invited visitors and guests to attend a resident council meeting. Multiple residents, including the president of the resident council, expressed that they had invited family members and local officials, such as the Mayor and City Council members, to attend a meeting to discuss concerns about limited activities and low staffing. Despite these invitations, the facility Administrator required the visitors to leave, stating that the meeting was for residents only and that visitors could not attend unless previously approved by a vote at an earlier meeting. Residents and their representatives reported that they wanted the visitors present to support them and to hear their concerns. Several residents voiced their wishes directly to the Administrator during the meeting, but the Administrator insisted that the visitors vacate the room before the meeting could proceed. The Chief Nursing Officer confirmed that residents had requested the visitors to stay, but the Administrator did not allow it. One visitor stated that the Administrator expressed concerns about the meeting becoming political and repeatedly asked the visitor not to attend, leading the visitor to leave to avoid causing disruption. A review of the facility's policies revealed that residents have the right to invite visitors of their choosing and to organize and participate in resident and family groups. However, the Resident Council Meetings Policy did not specify that residents were permitted to invite visitors to the meetings, and there was no documentation supporting this right in practice. The actions taken by the Administrator directly contradicted both resident wishes and facility policy statements regarding resident rights and visitation.