Failure to Resolve Recurring Resident Council Concerns on Call Light Response and Staff Attitude
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to resolve recurring issues reported by the Resident Council regarding call light response times and delivery of care. Over the course of nearly a year, Resident Council meeting minutes repeatedly documented concerns that staff were turning off call lights without completing requested care, not returning to assist residents, and displaying negative attitudes such as huffing, scoffing, and cussing when residents requested assistance. Residents also reported that staff were loud during activities like church and movies, and that staff frequently complained about being short-staffed or about coworkers in the presence of residents. These concerns were consistently raised in multiple council meetings, indicating a pattern of unresolved issues. Despite the facility's stated responses, such as providing staff re-education and discussing concerns at staff meetings, the same issues persisted in subsequent Resident Council meetings. Residents continued to report long wait times for call light responses and feeling like a burden to staff. Observations and interviews confirmed that these problems were ongoing, with residents expressing dissatisfaction with staff attitudes and the timeliness of care. The facility's policy required a designated staff member to respond to council concerns and for the Quality Assurance Committee to review council data, but the recurring nature of the complaints suggests these processes were not effective in resolving the deficiencies.