Failure to Promptly Resolve Resident Grievance Regarding Pain Medication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to make prompt and adequate efforts to resolve a resident grievance in accordance with its own grievance policy. The policy required that grievances be resolved within five working days and that routine follow-up on outstanding concerns be completed through daily meetings. A resident, admitted with diagnoses including frequent falls and chronic pain syndrome, filed a grievance stating that prescribed oxycodone was not administered upon admission. The grievance was assigned to the DON and Unit Manager for follow-up, but documentation showed that the medication was not given until the following day, and the resident did not receive timely evaluation or resolution of the grievance. Further review revealed that social services met with the resident three days after the grievance was filed, but the grievance was closed with the notation that the resident was discharged prior to resolution. The resident remained in the facility for eight days after filing the grievance, exceeding the policy's five-day resolution timeframe. There was no documented evidence of attempts to resolve the grievance within the required timeframe, nor was there documentation of corrective action, findings, or communication of a resolution to the resident prior to discharge. Interviews with the NHA confirmed that no further action was taken to resolve the grievance.