Failure to Investigate and Resolve Resident Grievances Regarding Missing Property
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents' grievances regarding missing personal property were properly investigated and resolved, as required by facility policy. For three residents, Missing Item Report Forms documented the loss of their cell phones, but the follow-up/results sections on these forms were left blank, indicating a lack of documented investigation or resolution. Interviews with staff and residents confirmed that the missing items were reported, but there was no evidence that the facility reimbursed or replaced the lost property. In one case, video footage substantiated that a housekeeper took a resident's phone, leading to police involvement and the housekeeper's termination, but the resident was not compensated for the loss. Residents involved included individuals who were both cognitively intact and moderately cognitively impaired, all of whom regularly used their cell phones and kept them within reach. Despite searches conducted by staff and the social worker, the missing phones were not recovered, and there was no documentation of any resolution or corrective action taken for the grievances. The facility's failure to follow its own grievance policy resulted in unresolved complaints and a lack of closure for the affected residents.