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

Resident Council Grievances Not Addressed

Wedgemere HealthcareTaunton, Massachusetts Survey Completed on 04-01-2026

Summary

The facility failed to ensure grievances raised through the Resident Council were addressed and resolved in a timely manner, and the facility response was not included in the group discussions. Review of the Resident Council policy indicated that resident council members were to meet monthly, department heads were to respond in writing to grievances before the next meeting, and the council could make recommendations regarding resident services. However, review of Resident Council minutes from October 2025 through March 2026 showed repeated concerns about call bell response times, staff using cellphones and earbuds, staff being unfriendly, food arriving cold, milk arriving warm, and staff speaking other languages in common areas, with multiple items repeatedly marked as not resolved or not improved. The minutes showed that concerns were raised month after month, but there was no documentation that the facility followed up on unresolved old business or new business discussed at the meetings. The record review also indicated that no grievances were initiated through the Resident Council process despite concerns being raised each month. There was no Resident Council meeting held in December 2025 or February 2026, and the minutes reflected that the same concerns continued across the meetings that were held. During a Resident Group meeting with 13 residents, all units of the facility were represented. Twelve of 13 residents stated call bells were not answered timely and nothing was being done about it, 12 of 13 residents said staff remained unfriendly and disrespectful, and 12 of 13 residents, including the Resident Council President, reported food arriving cold and milk arriving warm. In interviews, the Activity Director stated she verbally informed the Administrator of the concerns but had never initiated a grievance since being hired, and the Administrator stated he did not have a reason the issues were not addressed each month and expected a response form to be completed and provided to the responsible department head.

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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