Failure to Post DHSS Abuse Hotline and Ombudsman Contact Information in Visible Locations
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.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to Post State Survey Agency Contact Information: The facility did not post the State Survey Agency’s name, address, and telephone number on Station 2 and Station 3. Survey observations found no such posting on either unit, and residents reported they were unaware of any posting. The NHA confirmed the contact information was not posted on the nursing units.
The facility failed to maintain required postings of Ombudsman contact information in accessible areas for residents and their representatives. Surveyor observations found that Ombudsman information was not posted in the facility and that, when present, it was placed on the side of a refrigerator in the Activities Room rather than in a clearly visible location. The Administrator reported that Ombudsman posters had been removed to allow painting and were not re-posted afterward. This deficiency had the potential to affect all residents in the facility, as they and their representatives would not be aware of how to contact the Ombudsman about concerns.
Required postings listing State agencies and advocacy groups, including the State Survey Agency complaint number and statement that residents may file a complaint, were only posted in one hallway and not throughout the building. In a resident interview, most residents said they did not know how to contact the State Survey Agency, and the admin confirmed the information was posted only in the 300 hall with no policy for required postings.
Incomplete contact information for the State LTC Ombudsman program and Adult Protective Services was posted in three locations, including the First Floor and the 2nd and 4th floor nursing units. Surveyors observed that the Ombudsman posting lacked the name and email address, and the APS posting lacked the name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. The NHA confirmed the missing information.
Surveyors found that the facility did not post complete and current Adult Protective Services (APS) contact information, including email, phone number, and mailing address, on the South, North, and West nursing units. Observations showed the required APS details were missing from the resident rights postings, and the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that the postings on all three units lacked the full APS contact information as required by regulation.
Surveyors found that required State Agency and Ombudsman contact information was not posted in an accessible manner for residents, including those using wheelchairs. During a Resident Council interview, several residents reported they did not know where to find Ombudsman or State Agency contact details. These residents lived on a floor where they could not independently access the area where the State Agency posting was located, as they were not given the elevator code and had to be accompanied by staff. Observations showed no required postings on their floor, and the only State Agency posting on another floor lacked Ombudsman information and was mounted at a height the AD acknowledged would be difficult for a wheelchair user to see. This conflicted with the facility’s Resident Rights policy and state requirements to post names, addresses, and phone numbers of pertinent State advocacy groups in a form and manner residents can access and understand.
Failure to Post State Survey Agency Contact Information
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to post the name, address, and telephone number of the State Survey Agency on two of two units, Station 2 and Station 3. Observations on all days of the survey on both units found no posting of the contact information for the State Survey Agency. During a group interview with residents on April 21, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., residents stated they were not aware of any posting containing the State Survey Agency contact information. The Nursing Home Administrator confirmed on April 23, 2026, at 12:50 p.m. that the State Survey Agency contact information was not posted on the nursing units.
Failure to Properly Post Ombudsman Contact Information
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to post the required Ombudsman contact information in areas accessible to residents and their representatives, as required by regulations mandating that names, addresses, and telephone numbers of pertinent State agencies and advocacy groups be posted along with a statement that residents may file a complaint with the State Survey Agency. On 04/29/26 at 9:35 AM, an observation of the facility revealed that staff did not have the Ombudsman information posted. Later that morning at 10:00 AM, an observation of the Activities Room showed that staff had placed an 8.5 x 11-inch paper with Ombudsman information roughly at eye level on the side of a refrigerator, rather than in a more generally visible or designated posting area. On 04/30/26 at 12:47 PM, the Administrator stated in an interview that the facility had taken down the Ombudsman posters in order to paint and confirmed that staff failed to put the Ombudsman posters back up after the painting was completed. This deficiency had the potential to affect all 89 residents identified on the census list provided by the Administrator on 04/29/26, as residents and their representatives would not be aware of how to contact the Ombudsman about concerns they have.
Required State Agency Complaint Postings Not Accessible Throughout Facility
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to post, in a form and manner accessible and understandable to residents and resident representatives, a list of names, addresses, and telephone numbers for pertinent State agencies and advocacy groups, including the State Survey Agency, the State licensure office, the protection and advocacy network, home and community based service programs, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Surveyors observed that the required posting, including the HHSC complaint number and the statement that residents may file a complaint with the State Survey Agency, was posted only on the wall of the 300 hall. During the observation, there were no such postings on the 100, 200, or 400 halls. In a confidential group interview, 7 of 9 residents stated they did not know how to file a complaint or contact the State Survey Agency, and they said the only number they knew was the administrator's number because it was posted in all hallways. One resident stated she had seen the State Survey Agency number posted in the 300 hallway but rarely went there unless going to the activities room. The administrator confirmed that the State Survey Agency number was posted only in the 300 hallway and that there was no policy regarding required postings.
Incomplete Posting of Ombudsman and APS Contact Information
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to post complete contact information for the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program and Adult Protective Services at three locations: the First Floor, Nursing Unit Second Floor, and Nursing Unit Fourth Floor. During observations on 4/7/26 from 12:51 p.m. through 1:10 p.m., surveyors found that the posted Ombudsman information did not include the Ombudsman’s name or email address. The same observations showed that the Adult Protective Services posting did not include APS’s name, mailing address, phone number, or email address. During an interview on 4/7/26 at 2:13 p.m., the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that the facility failed to post complete contact information for both programs as required.
Incomplete Posting of Adult Protective Services Contact Information on All Nursing Units
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to meet federal and state requirements for posting complete and current contact information for Adult Protective Services (APS) on all three nursing units (South, North, and West). During an observation on 4/9/26 at approximately 1:00 p.m., surveyors noted that the required postings on each of these units did not include APS email address, phone number, and mailing address, as required under 42 CFR 483.10(g)(5). In a subsequent interview on 4/10/26 at approximately 3:00 p.m., the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that the facility had not posted complete and current APS contact information on the three nursing units, resulting in noncompliance with federal resident rights posting requirements and related Pennsylvania regulations. No specific residents, medical histories, or clinical conditions were identified in the report; the deficiency pertains to facility-wide posting of resident rights and contact information for state agencies and advocacy groups, specifically APS.
Plan Of Correction
Complete and current contact information for Adult Protective Services has been posted in a form and manner, accessible and understandable to residents and representatives on three of the three nursing units (South, North, West). The Social Worker has been educated by the Administrator on the regulation to maintain these required posting. The Administrator/Designee will complete random audits to ensure the placement of the required posting is maintained. Results of this audit will be presented to the QAPI committee for review and further recommendations.
Failure to Provide Accessible Posting of State Agency and Ombudsman Contact Information
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that required State Agency and Ombudsman contact information was prominently displayed in a location and manner accessible to residents, including those using wheelchairs. During a Resident Council group interview, three residents reported they did not know where to find information for the local Ombudsman or how to contact the State Agency with concerns. One resident stated he could ask the Activities Director for the information. These residents lived on the third floor, where residents were not allowed to access the first floor without staff supervision due to the presence of residents on the third floor who were considered elopement risks. An observation of the third floor revealed no visible postings of State Agency or Ombudsman information. Further observation on the first floor showed that the required State Agency information was posted on the wall next to the elevators, but the posting did not include the Ombudsman’s contact information. During an interview and observation with the Activities Director, the State Agency informational poster was measured at 58 inches from the ground, and the Activities Director acknowledged it would be difficult for a person in a wheelchair to see the information at that height. The Director of Nursing confirmed that residents on the third floor were not given the elevator code and had to be accompanied by staff to go downstairs. The facility’s Resident Rights policy stated that information must be provided to each resident in a form and manner the resident can access and understand, and that the facility must post the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all pertinent State client advocacy groups, including the State survey and certification agency and the State ombudsman program, among others, as required by 410 IAC 16.23.1-4(j)(3).
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