Failure to Address Resident Grievances in a Timely Manner
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to address a resident's grievances in a timely manner, as required by its own grievance policy. The policy states that residents and their representatives have the right to file grievances orally or in writing, and that the Grievance Officer must review and investigate any allegations, submitting a written report to the Administrator within five working days. In this case, a resident with severe protein calorie malnutrition, who was cognitively intact according to the most recent MDS assessment, reported that a night shift nurse's aide was rough during care and yelled at him. The resident stated that he had submitted written complaints twice, and that a medication nurse had also written a complaint on his behalf the previous week. Despite these actions, the facility's grievance log contained no record of grievances from this resident. Interviews with staff revealed that the DON was unaware of any investigation into the resident's complaints, and the social worker, who regularly checks the grievance box, reported not finding any grievance forms related to the resident. The social worker also confirmed that no investigation had been conducted because no grievance was received. The DON further confirmed that no investigation was initiated regarding the resident's complaints about the night shift nurse's aide.