The Florida Senate

400.1183  Resident grievance procedures.--

(1)  Every nursing home must have a grievance procedure available to its residents and their families. The grievance procedure must include:

(a)  An explanation of how to pursue redress of a grievance.

(b)  The names, job titles, and telephone numbers of the employees responsible for implementing the facility's grievance procedure. The list must include the address and the toll-free telephone numbers of the ombudsman and the agency.

(c)  A simple description of the process through which a resident may, at any time, contact the toll-free telephone hotline of the ombudsman or the agency to report the unresolved grievance.

(d)  A procedure for providing assistance to residents who cannot prepare a written grievance without help.

(2)  Each facility shall maintain records of all grievances and shall report annually to the agency the total number of grievances handled, a categorization of the cases underlying the grievances, and the final disposition of the grievances.

(3)  Each facility must respond to the grievance within a reasonable time after its submission.

(4)  The agency may investigate any grievance at any time.

(5)  The agency may impose an administrative fine, in accordance with s. 400.121, against a nursing home facility for noncompliance with this section.

History.--s. 19, ch. 2001-45.