Failure to Post DHSS Abuse Hotline and Ombudsman Contact Information in Visible Locations
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s failure to post required contact information for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Elder Abuse and Neglect Hotline and the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program in visible locations. During observations conducted over multiple days, surveyors noted that no DHSS Abuse and Neglect hotline numbers or Ombudsman contact information were posted in the elevators, on Terrace 2, on the middle hall double doors of Terrace 3, on 3 Short, on 3 Long, or on the Loop. Instead, only corporate compliance contact information was posted in several of these areas. In the front lobby, a bulletin board sign instructed individuals who suspected abuse or neglect to contact the Administrator and listed the Administrator’s phone number, but did not include the DHSS hotline. Outside the Social Worker’s office, a Resident Rights poster included the Ombudsman’s contact number only on a small label approximately 1 inch by 2 5/8 inches, and there was no DHSS hotline number observed there. During a resident council meeting interview, all eight residents present stated they were not aware of the Ombudsman program and confirmed that information about the program was not posted. One resident asked for the correct spelling of the advocacy agency, further indicating unfamiliarity. In a subsequent interview, the Administrator reported that there should be signs for the hotline number by the business office, by the stairwell near Terrace 2, and near the bird cages, but he was only aware of those locations and could not confirm broader posting. He also stated he would need to see the print used for the Ombudsman contact number but would expect it to be large enough for residents to see. These observations and interviews showed that the facility did not adequately post the required State agency and advocacy group contact information, including the DHSS Elder Abuse and Neglect Hotline and Ombudsman program details, in a manner visible and accessible to residents.
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