Failure to Document and Address Resident Grievance Regarding Missing Property
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to honor a resident's right to voice grievances and to make prompt efforts to resolve them, as required by policy. The representative of a resident with moderate cognitive impairment and multiple care needs reported several missing items, including a fleece blanket and a nail manicure kit, to the Patient Relations Concierge. Despite this report, there was no documented evidence that a grievance was filed or that any follow-up was provided to the resident's representative regarding the missing items. The facility's grievance policy requires that grievances be documented and addressed promptly, but this process was not followed in this instance. Interviews revealed that the Patient Relations Concierge received the complaint and attempted to notify the Assistant Administrator and Director of Social Services via WhatsApp, but did not receive a response and was unaware of the official grievance process. The Director of Social Services, who is designated as the grievance officer, stated they were not informed of the issue until much later and confirmed that no grievance documentation existed in the resident's chart. The Administrator acknowledged that the grievance should have been documented and processed according to policy, but this did not occur. Communication breakdowns and lack of staff awareness of the grievance process contributed to the failure to address the resident's grievance appropriately.