902 Grievance Intake and Response

The Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (OSLTCO) is responsible for receiving and acting upon each grievance in accordance with this policy. The person responsible for acting on the particular grievance will:

  1. Clearly explain to the person(s) filing the grievance (aggrieved) what will happen in relation to the information received with special attention given to the Confidentiality provision, below at 903.

  2. Complete the Grievance Intake Form (Appendix D).

    1. For grievances received orally, have the aggrieved sign it, if possible.

    2. For grievances received in written form, fill out the portion at the bottom of the Grievance Form. If the written grievance is not on the Form, the top two portions of the Grievance Intake Form should be filled out and the written document should be stapled to it.

  3. Deal with the grievance impartially.

  4. Assess the grievance. The person responsible for acting on the grievance shall assess it in consultation with his or her supervisor and must notify the SLTCO of the grievance.

  5. The person against whom the grievance is filed (Respondent) must receive a copy of the allegations and must have a formal opportunity to respond to the allegations in the grievance as noted below.

  6. Investigate the situation as necessary, including a formal interview with the aggrieved, the Respondent, and other parties as the investigator deems appropriate.

  7. Prepare a preliminary report with recommendations, provided to the Respondent.

  8. Allow time for the Respondent to file a response to the report and recommendations.

  9. Resolve the grievance including sending a final report to the aggrieved, the Respondent and the SLTCO.

  10. Complete the grievance process.

Table IX-A Responsibility for Grievance Intake
IF the grievance is against THEN the grievance is filed with

an OR volunteer for the OR or SLTCO

supervisor of the volunteer

an OR

the Ombudsman Representative Coordinator responsible for that OR

an OR Coordinator

the SLTCO

the SLTCO

the State Unit on Aging Director or his/her designee. The State Unit on Aging Director shall request the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Advisory Council Chairperson to appoint a committee to act as the designee if the State Unit on Aging Director wishes to appoint a designee.
In order to resolve the grievance, the aggrieved party must be identified. The individual with whom the grievance is filed and the individual investigating the grievance shall take necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that the confidentiality of the grievance will be maintained except as to those who are involved in the circumstances of the grievance, including the resident, if a resident is involved. If the grievance concerns a resident, all rules related to confidentiality as stated in section 500 of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Policy Manual apply and the SLTCO must be consulted.