Failure to Provide Anonymous Grievance Process
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to support residents' rights to file grievances anonymously, as required by regulation. Observations revealed that the grievance policy and procedure posted in the lobby only displayed the first page, which included the grievance officer's contact information but did not provide instructions for filing grievances anonymously. The grievance forms and the facility's written policy required a resident's signature, and there was no indication on the forms or policy that anonymous grievances were permitted. Interviews with three residents confirmed that they were unaware of any process to file grievances without revealing their identity, and they reported using the facility-provided form and submitting it to the Social Worker. The Social Worker, identified as the Grievance Official, stated that while envelopes were available for anonymous grievances, the posted policy and procedure did not include this option, and she was unable to locate any documentation of an anonymous grievance process in the facility's policies. She acknowledged the difficulty in handling anonymous grievances and confirmed that providing an option for anonymous grievance submission is a requirement.