F0565 F565: Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
E

Resident Council Concerns Not Addressed Promptly

Heritage Care CenterPittsburgh, Pennsylvania Survey Completed on 05-05-2026

Summary

The facility failed to consider resident views and act promptly on concerns and recommendations raised through the Resident Council regarding resident care and daily life in the facility. Facility policy stated the Resident Council was intended to provide a forum for residents, families, and resident representatives to discuss concerns and suggestions for improvement, with a Resident Council Response Form used to track issues and their resolution. Meeting minutes showed repeated resident concerns about staff using earbuds and cellphones while working with residents, garbage and dirty linens not being removed from rooms for long periods of time, beds not being made, sheets not being changed when needed, and showers not occurring consistently on shower days. Resident Council minutes from February, March, and April 2026 documented that these same issues remained unresolved across multiple meetings. The minutes reflected repeated discussion of staff use of earbuds and cellphones during resident care, as well as ongoing complaints that trash and dirty linens were not being removed promptly. Nursing-related concerns also continued, including reports that showers were missed and bed linens were not changed regularly. The minutes show that the facility repeatedly discussed clarifying responsibilities and auditing shower schedules, but the concerns continued to be listed as ongoing issues month after month. A resident submitted a concern stating they were supposed to receive showers twice weekly but had received only two showers in three weeks, and that aides were constantly on their cellphones while providing care. During interviews on 5/5/26, residents reported seeing staff on cellphones and earbuds while providing care, stated that showers were not being given consistently, and reported not knowing their shower schedule. The Activities Director confirmed the shower audit had still not occurred, and the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed the facility failed to consider resident views and act promptly on concerns and recommendations for three consecutive months.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

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See other F0565 citations
Unresolved Resident Council Dietary Concerns
B
F0565 F565: Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
Short Summary

Unresolved Resident Council Dietary Concerns: Residents repeatedly voiced ongoing food and meal service complaints, including unmet preferences, late meals, missing snacks, and inconsistent tray delivery. Council minutes showed the same dietary issues carried forward month after month without clear resolution, while residents and the Dietary Mgr confirmed the concerns continued despite repeated discussion with facility leadership.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Report Resident Concern to Administration
D
F0565 F565: Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
Short Summary

A resident with cognitive impairment, mood disorder, and anxiety reported that a nurse aide would lay on her in bed at night. Another aide later confirmed the resident had told her this concern and said she did not report it to administration because she did not believe it was plausible. The DON and Administrator stated that any staff member receiving such a report was expected to notify administration.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Resident Council Grievances Not Addressed
B
F0565 F565: Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
Short Summary

Resident Council grievances about weekend housekeeping and unlabeled or missing clothing items were not effectively resolved or communicated. Meeting minutes documented repeated concerns over two months, and residents stated their grievances were not being addressed. The Activities Director said she relied on others to handle and report back on grievances, while the DON was unaware of any Resident Council grievance process and the Administrator could not explain how the concerns were being addressed.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Resident Council Concerns Not Documented or Returned to Council
E
F0565 F565: Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
Short Summary

Resident Council concerns were not fully documented or brought back to the council for discussion. Residents reported issues with menu options and tough meat, especially roast beef, and asked for the DM to attend meetings, but those concerns were not reflected in the council minutes for multiple months. The AD said she emailed department managers about concerns, but she did not document all concerns or responses in the minutes, and the DON stated the expectation was that concerns and resolutions be recorded and reviewed with the council.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Resident Council Concerns Not Documented or Resolved
E
F0565 F565: Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
Short Summary

Resident Council concerns were not addressed or tracked in meeting minutes for multiple residents who regularly attended. Residents said the Administrator ran the meetings, concerns were not followed up on, and prior issues never appeared as old business or with documented resolution in later meetings. The AD and Administrator both confirmed the minutes lacked evidence of resident concern resolution.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Address Resident Council Concerns
E
F0565 F565: Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
Short Summary

Failure to Address Resident Council Concerns: A resident council repeatedly raised concerns about cold food, laundry not being returned or put away, plastic ware and paper plates, lack of help with meals, and staff using phones or earbuds during resident care. Meeting minutes over several months did not show that prior concerns were answered or that follow-up was communicated back to the council, and residents stated they felt their concerns were not addressed.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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